Of course I lie to people. But I lie altruistically - for our mutual good. The lie is the basic building block of good manners. That may seem mildly shocking to a moralist - but then what isn't?

Our clothes are too much a part of us for most of us ever to be entirely indifferent to their condition: it is as though the fabric were indeed a natural extension of the body, or even of the soul.

It may be true that artists adopt a flamboyant appearance, but it's also true that people who look funny get stuck with the arts.

The court was not previously aware of the prisoner's many accomplishments. In view of these, we see fit to impose the death penalty.

I would never go to a place and live there because the weather was good or the scenery was beautiful or the architecture was wonderful. I would only go because the people are kind, and in America, everybody's your friend and happiness rains down from the sky.

Living en famille provides the strongest motives for rudeness combined with the maximum opportunity for displaying it.

The poverty from which I have suffered could be diagnosed as 'Soho' poverty. It comes from having the airs and graces of a genius and no talent.