What does democracy come down to? The persuasive power of slogans invented by wily self-seeking politicians.

If nobody spoke unless he had something to say, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech.

But Philip was impatient with himself; he called to mind his idea of the pattern of life: the unhappiness he had suffered was no more than part of a decoration which was elaborate and beautiful; he told himself strenuously that he must accept with gaiety everything, dreariness and excitement, pleasure and pain, because it added to the richness of the design.

The important thing was to love rather than to be loved.

From the earliest time the old have rubbed it into the young that they are wiser, and before the young had discovered what nonsense this was they were old too, and it profited them to carry on the imposture.

You're beginning to dislike me, aren't you? Well, dislike me. It doesn't make any difference to me now.

At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.