Intellectual tasting of life will not supersede muscular activity.

A man must be in sympathy with society around him, or else, not wish to be in sympathy with it. If neither of these two, he must be wretched.

With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.

The wheels and springs of man are all set to the hypothesis of the permanence of nature. We are not built like a ship to be tossed, but like a house to stand.

The only joy in his being mine, is that the not mine is mine.

The arts and inventions of each period are only its costume, and do not invigorate men.

Sentimentalists ... adopt whatever merit is in good repute, and almost make it hateful with their praise. The warmer their expressions, the colder we feel.... Cure the drunkard, heal the insane, mollify the homicide, civilize the Pawnee, but what lessons can be devised for the debauchee of sentiment?