The world always looks straights ahead; as for me, I turn my gaze inward, I fix it there and keep it busy. Everyone looks in front of him: as for me, I look inside me: I have no business but with myself; I continually observe myself, I take stock of myself, I taste myself. Others...they always go forward; as for me, I roll about in myself.

Our own peculiar human condition is that we are as fit to be laughed at as able to laugh.

I love a friendship that flatters itself in the sharpness and vigor of its communications.

Not being able to govern events, I govern myself, and apply myself to them if they will not apply themselves to me.

Whenever a new finding is reported to the world people say - It is probably not true. Later on, when the reliability of a new finding has been fully confirmed, people say - OK, it may be true but it has no real significance. At last, when even the significance of the finding is obvious to everybody, people say - Well, it might have some significance, but the idea is not new.

Reason has so many forms that we do not know which to choose-Experiment has no fewer.

Books are a languid pleasure.