Aphorisms are essentially an aristocratic genre of writing. The aphorist does not argue or explain, he asserts; and implicit in his assertion is a conviction that he is wiser and more intelligent than his readers.

I and the public know What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return.

The image of myself which I try to create in my own mind in order that I may love myself is very different from the image which I try to create in the minds of others in order that they may love me.

A craftsman knows in advance what the finished result will be, while the artist knows only what it will be when he has finished it.

All wishes, whatever their apparent content, have the same and unvarying meaning: "I refuse to be what I am."

In a game, just losing is almost as satisfying as just winning... In life the loser's score is always zero.

The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in.