Great Throughts Treasury

"I'm always on time for my appointment, so I can leave quickly."

"Ignorance is not lack of intelligence, nor knowledge a proof of genius."

"In order to protect himself from force, man was obliged to submit to justice. Justice or force: he was compelled to choose between the two masters, so little are we made to be independent."

"In order to achieve great things, we must live as though we were never going to die."

"Indolence is the sleep of the mind."

"Interest is the rule of prudence."

"It belongs only to adjust the courage to life."

"Is it against justice or reason to love ourselves? And why is self-love always a vice?"

"It cannot be right if it is not human."

"It is a pity that men cannot usually possess no talent without any desire to put others down."

"It cannot be a vice in men to be sensible of their strength."

"It is difficult to estimate as someone he wants to be."

"It is a great sign of mediocrity to praise always moderately."

"It is easier for us to dye an infinity of knowledge, as well as have a few."

"It is difficult to esteem a man as highly as he would wish."

"It is easier to say new things than to reconcile those which have already been said."

"It is easier to say new things that reconcile those who were saying."

"It is not true that equality is a law of nature. Nature has no equality. Its sovereign law is subordination and dependence."

"It is easier to say original things than to reconcile with one another things already said."

"It is good to be firm by temperament and pliant by reflection."

"It is easy to criticize an author, but it is difficult to appreciate."

"It is in our own mind and not in exterior objects that we perceive most things; fools know scarcely anything because they are empty, and their heart is narrow; but great souls find in themselves a number of exterior things; they have no need to read or travel or to listen or to work to discover the highest truths; they have only to delve into themselves and search, if we may say so, their own thoughts."

"It is of no use to possess a lively wit if it is not of the right proportion: the perfection of a clock is not to go fast, but to be accurate."

"It is not true that men are better in poverty than in wealth."

"It is not true that we have made ??a fortune when it is not enjoying it."

"It is proof of a narrow mind when things worthy of esteem are distinguished from things worthy of love. Great minds naturally love whatever is worthy of their esteem."

"It is our heart to determine the rank of our interests, and our reason to drive."

"It is sad that goodness does not always accompany the force."

"It is well to be fooled to love the world, if you do not like women, or the game"

"It is untrue to say a man has made his fortune when he is not capable of enjoying it."

"It is unjust to exact that men shall do out of deference to our advice what they have no desire to do for themselves."

"It is sometimes easier to form a party than to attain by degrees the head of a party already formed."

"It is true that equality is a law of nature. Nature has done nothing to equal, sovereign law is subordination and dependence."

"It promises to provide much give few."

"It often happens that we estimated in proportion as we believe ourselves."

"It says little strong when trying to say extraordinary."

"It takes some of the old service."

"It takes sincerity and righteousness, even to seduce."

"It's being poorly skilled that make dupes."

"It turns a thought as a habit, to use several times."

"Laziness is what up at six in the morning, to have more time to do nothing."

"It's good to be strong temperament, and flexible thinking."

"Knowledge is no proof of genius."

"Loneliness is the mind that the diet is to the body, is fatal if too long, but necessary."

"Lazy people are always anxious to be doing something."

"Low depend want to be protected. Those who fear men like laws."

"Love is not so delicate self-esteem."

"Let us help the bad reasons to strengthen us in good intentions."

"Low sometimes want to be believed wicked, but the wicked always want to go for good."

"Magnanimity is not accountable to the prudence of his reasons."