People get into the habit of entrusting the things they desire to wishful thinking, and subjecting things they don't desire to exhaustive thinking

It is a common mistake in going to war to begin at the wrong end, to act first, and wait for disasters to discuss the matter.

Those who really deserve praise are the people who, while human enough to enjoy power, nevertheless pay more attention to justice than they are compelled to do by their situation.

Those who have experienced good and bad luck many times have every reason to be skeptical of successes

The secret of freedom, courage.

It is the habit of mankind to entrust to careless hope what they long for, and to use sovereign reason to thrust aside what they do not desire

Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made.