Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

My third maxim was to try always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and to change my desires rather than the order of the world, and generally to accustom myself to believing that there is nothing entirely in our power except our thoughts, so that after we have done our best regarding things external to us, everything in which we do not succeed is for us absolutely impossible.

A state is better governed which has few laws, and those laws strictly observed.

Good sense is the most equitably distributed of all things because no matter how much or little a person has, everyone feels so abundantly provided with good sense that he feels no desire for more than he already possesses.

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.

The only secure knowledge is that I exist.