As if a woman ever loved a man for his virtue.

The worst of having so much tact was that you never quite knew whether other people were acting naturally or being tactful too. [The human element]

It requires the feminine temperament to repeat the same thing three times with unabated zest.

No egoism is so insufferable as that of the Christian with regard to his soul.

Marco Polo tells the tale of The Old Man in the Mountains and how he recruits new members to his Band of Assassins by means of drugs, beautiful women, lush gardens, and religious promises. The unfortunate thing about this world is that the good habits are much easier to give up than the bad ones.

Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.

The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We must see the beauty of quietness. We must go through life so inconspicuously that Fate does not notice us. And let us seek the love of simple, ignorant people. Their ignorance is better than all our knowledge. Let us be silent, content in our little corner, meek and gentle like them. That is the wisdom of life.