Time's violence rends the soul, by the rent eternity enters.

Nothing can have as its destination anything other than its origin. The contrary idea, the idea of progress, is poison.

Whatever debases the intelligence degrades the entire human being.

We possess nothing in the world - a mere chance can strip us of everything - except the power to say 'I.

Only he who has measured the dominion of force, and knows how not to respect it, is capable of love andjustice.

A doctrine serves no purpose in itself, but it is indispensable to have one if only to avoid being deceived by false doctrines.

I think that it is useless to fight directly against natural weaknesses. One has to force oneself to act as though one did not have them in circumstances where a duty makes it imperative; and in the ordinary course of life one has to know these weaknesses, prudently take them into account, and strive to turn them to good purpose; for they are all capable of being put to some good purpose.