It is hard to live without a mind; what can you get without it?
In high society there are a lot of mean people.
In the eyes of thinking men, the honest man, but without high rank, is a respectable person: virtue can replace anything, but nothing can replace virtue.
In human ignorance it is comforting to regard as absurd the things you do not know.
Bribery is impossible to prohibit. How to solve all problems based on salary alone?
Being married is the same as being bound.
Everything is in the imagination. Walk in the footsteps of nature and you will not be poor. Listen to the mouth of the world and you will never be rich.
Any man can find in himself enough strength to be virtuous. We must want a thing strongly, and it will be easy for us not to do that which would draw upon us the reproaches of conscience.
Two thousand serfs without boyar dignity will remain two thousand serfs, and there can be no dignity without them.
Even the whole of Siberia cannot contain the whims of a man.
The bad disposition of dishonorable people need not grieve us. Evil is never wished to those who are despised, but usually to those who have the right to despise. Men are not envious only of riches, and not only of nobility: and he that is full of virtue has his share of envious people.
The woman usually behaves chastely with capable people, and less often with the unsophisticated.
I don't even know what this world of ours was created for.
Have heart and soul and you will always be human.
How can you believe that God, who knows everything, does not know our rank table?
How not to be satisfied with the heart when the conscience is clean!
How merciful is fate! She strives to bring together people who think the same, have the same tastes, the same morals.
Greed does the same wonders to man as love.
Love rarely conquers greed.
The lazy man is afraid of work even when he is working, and the lazy man is generally afraid of doing anything. The lazy person is lazy more for physical reasons, and the lazy person is lazy more for soul reasons.
Many absurdities are published nowadays, not because the number of heretics has increased, but because the number of fools has increased.
The young man is like wax.
Just as your husband listens to his reason, so you must listen to your husband and you will have a full life.
Science in the hands of depraved man is a terrible weapon for evil. Education only elevates the virtuous soul.
Where dignities begin, sincerity disappears.
Love for your husband should not be like friendship, but friendship with him should be like love. It's much more durable that way.
He is not rich who counts his money in order to hide it, but he who counts his surplus in order to help those who lack the bare necessities.
The soulless ignoramus resembles an animal. His most insignificant act leads to murder.
It is impossible not to love the rules of virtue. They bring happiness.
Only one kind of honor should flatter a man - that of the soul, and of soul honor only he is worthy who has not bought his rank, nor has he become noble as a result of rank.