I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy propensities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one’s very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?

Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.

In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.

You must have the devil in you to succeed in the arts.

The more often a stupidity is repeated, the more it gets the appearance of wisdom.

Almost all life depends on probabilities.

A good imitation is the most perfect originality