There is no such thing as a good influence. Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtures are not real to him. His sins, if there are such thing as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of someone else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him.

Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.

A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.

It's either the wallpaper or me. One of us has to go. [These were his dying words.]

The ages live in history through their anachronisms.

Other people are quite dreadful. The only possible society is oneself.

The youth of the present day are quite monstrous. They have absolutely no respect for dyed hair.