Habits are formed, not at one stroke, but gradually and insensibly; so that, unless vigilant care be employed, a great change may come over the character without our being conscious of any.

As there are dim-sighted people who live in a sort of perpetual twilight, so there are some who, having neither much clearness of head nor a very elevated tone of morality, are perpetually haunted by suspicions of everybody and everything.

Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry gets the best of the argument.

To follow imperfect, uncertain, or corrupted traditions, in order to avoid erring in our own judgment, is but to exchange one danger for another.

Even supposing there were some spiritual advantage in celibacy, it ought to be completely voluntary.

Neither human applause nor human censure is to be taken as the best of truth; but either should set us upon testing ourselves.

Unless people can be kept in the dark, it is best for those who love the truth to give them the full light.