Obtuseness is sometimes a virtue.

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.

If you serve the king of kings, the rest will serve you, money, success, prosperity, etc

Wisdom is not to be at the top of a giant pyramid and hence see everywhere clearly, but wisdom is to be at the top, at the bottom, to be inside the pyramid, it is to be everywhere!

Personally, I prefer the dark side.

Sensitive people never like the fatigue of justifying their instincts.

I am immensely contrite. And I'm sorry for the damage I've done.

When you become present, your mind is silent. There is no agenda. You are not holding onto anything. You are not seeking anything. You are just here with what is, and it is enough.

I've been on movies where I literally couldn't hear what the other actor was saying. It's very awkward.

You can only run away from a house. Home is something you run toward.

And Left-wing people are always sad because they mind dreadfully about their causes, and the causes are always going so badly.

When I was supposed to be awake, I was asleep. When I was supposed to sleep, I was silent. When a pleasure offered itself to me, I avoided it.