The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.

Our natural egoism leads us to judge people by their relations to ourselves. We want them to be certain things to us, and for us that is what they are; because the rest of them is no good to us, we ignore it.

[Money] is the string with which a sardonic destiny directs the motions of its puppets.

Women are strange little beasts,' he said to Dr. Coutras. 'You can treat them like dogs, you can beat them till your arm aches, and still they love you.' He shrugged his shoulders. 'Of course, it is one of the most absurd illusions of Christianity that they have souls.

Truth is not only stranger than fiction, it is more telling. To know that a thing actually happened gives it a poignancy, touches a chord, which a piece of acknowledged fiction misses. It is to touch this chord that some authors have done everything they could to give you the impression that they are telling the plain truth.

The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill.

It's always difficult to make conversation with a drunk, and there's no denying it, the sober are at a disadvantage with him.