What we call luck is the inner man externalized. We make things happen to us.

Conversation in its true meaning isn't all wagging the tongue; sometimes it is a deeply shared silence.

If you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness.

Real bibliophiles do not put their books on shelves for people to look at or handle. They have no desire to show off their darlings, or to amaze people with their possessions. They keep their prized books hidden away in a secret spot to which they resort stealthily, like a Caliph visiting his harem, or a church elder sneaking into a bar. To be a book collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope-fiend with those of a miser.

It is a waste of time to dissipate one's moral zeal in disapproving of royal persons who have mistresses.

I don't suppose God laughs at the people who think He doesn't exist. He's above jokes. But the devil isn't. That's one of his most endearing qualities.

Imagination is a good horse to carry you over the ground - not a flying carpet to set you free from probability.