It is not he who searches for praise who finds it.

The most civilized people are as near to barbarism as the most polished steel is to rust. Nations, like metals, have only a superficial brilliancy.

Man spends his life in reasoning on the past, in complaining of the present, in fearing future.

It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit.

Of every ten persons who talk about you, nine will say something bad, and the tenth will say something good in a bad way.

The absolute ruler may be a Nero, but he is sometimes a Titus or Marc Aurelius; the people is often Nero, but never Marc Aurelius.

To lose one's self in reverie, one must be either very happy, or very unhappy. Reverie is the child of extremes.

Gold like the sun, which melts wax, but hardens clay, expands great souls.

The only thing wealth does for some people is to make them worry about losing it.

The modest man has everything to gain, and the arrogant man everything to lose; for modesty has always to deal with generosity, and arrogance with envy.

Opinions, theories, and systems pass by turns over the grindstone of time, which at first gives them brilliancy and sharpness, but finally wears them out.

When nobody interferes with what you wear and how you wear, you are living in a civilised country at least on the matter of clothes! Happiness and freedom are often the same thing!

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like

The only approval that's worth seeking is that of your positive inner-self.

A woman's strength is the irresistible might of weakness.

When beauty is universal, it loses its power to move the heart, and only its absence can produce any emotional effect.

Je cherche à comprendre.

All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.

Some providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards.

Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them.

Ultimately, power only really listens to power, and if government is to be improved, we must be able to threaten its existence, not merely its reputation.