I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever only rejoices me, and the heart appoints

The charm of the best courages is that they are inventions, inspirations, flashes of genius.

I shun father and mother and wife and brother when my genius calls me. I would write on the lintels of the door-post, Whim. I hope that it is somewhat better than whim at last, but we cannot spend the day in explanation.

A man comes to measure his greatness by the regrets, envies and hatreds of his competitors.

Nature is no spendthrift, but takes the shortest way to her ends.

We learn geology the morning after the earthquake.

Nature is reckless of the individual. When she has points to carry, she carries them.