Our judgments judge us, and nothing reveals us, exposes our weaknesses, more ingeniously than the attitude of pronouncing upon our fellows.

The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us.

Power without abuse loses its charm.

Having precise ideas often leads to a man doing nothing.

That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.

Liberty is the hardest test that one can inflict on a people. To know how to be free is not given equally to all men and all nations.

What is simple is false and what is not is useless.