A man who is half an idiot, but who keeps a sharp lookout and acts prudently all his life, often enjoys the pleasure of triumphing over men of more imagination than he

But, if I sample this pleasure so prudently and circumspectly, it will no longer be a pleasure.

There is no such thing as "natural law": this expression is nothing but old nonsense... Prior to laws, what is natural is only the strength of the lion, or the need of the creature suffering from hunger or cold, in short, need.

Love is like fever; it comes and goes without the will having any part of the process.

On a cold winter morning a cigar fortifies the soul.

One can acquire everything in solitude except character.

Sometimes the impact of Mozart's music is so immediate that the vision in the mind remains blurred and incomplete, while the soul seems to be directly invaded, drenched in wave upon wave of melancholy.