I still occasionally need to struggle but I now fear it less. The weapons I fight it with are also my consolations: books, music, food, wine, nature.

Man is diminished if he lives without knowledge of his past; without hope of a future he becomes a beast.

I knew the facts of death before I knew the facts of life. There never was a time when I didn't see the skull beneath the skin.

It's easy to get a reputation for wisdom. It's only necessary to live long, speak little and do less.

The greatest mystery of all is the human heart.

There is no point in regretting any part of the past. The past can't now be altered, the future has yet to be lived, and consciously to experience every moment of the present is the only way to gain at least the illusion of immortality.

Charm is often despised but I can never see why. No one has it who isn't capable of genuinely liking others, at least at the actual moment of meeting and speaking. Charm is always genuine; it may be superficial but it isn't false.