Puritans will never believe it, but life is full of disagreeable things that aren't even good for you.

Spiritual sloth, or acedia, was known as The Sin of the Middle Ages. It's the sin of my middle age, too.

When "Why not do it?" barely outweighs "Why do it?" — don't do it.

Good food, good sex, good digestion, good sleep: to these basic animal pleasures, man has added nothing but the good cigarette.

You will turn over many a futile new leaf till you learn we must all write on scratched-out pages.

Minor vices lead to major ones, but minor virtues stay put.

Cash is the one gift everyone despises and no one turns down.