Often a man is too wise to be great. It takes a little fanaticism to achieve fame, both in literature and in state affairs.
Society recognizes and appreciates only those merits that are demonstrated at the scene of the act... Whoever wants to know concretely what merits he has, can find this out only from society, and therefore must leave himself to its judgment.
Equal happiness means being victorious or vanquished in the battle of love.
The tallest of the dwarves, surrounded by other dwarves, considers himself a giant who can be seen from anywhere.
It is very difficult to praise the one who fully deserves to be praised.
After valor there is nothing more admirable than the recognition of cowardice.
Almost all philosophical viewpoints lead to nothing, no matter how wonderful.
Beauty is rarely found only in thoughts.
Getting used to a certain impression decreases its intensity. Coldly I look at what I see every time, one and the same beauty ceases to be beauty for me.
Reason is given to us to serve the passions and not to fight them. She is their counselor and not their tyrant.
The greatest minds make the greatest mistakes. This is how clouds turn into storms.
A strong thought is expressed strongly.
The word "virtue," applied alike to wisdom, to courage, to mercy, has an uncertain, confused meaning. But he always suggests to you the vague idea of a certain quality useful to society.
The justice of our opinions and deeds is always a successful coincidence of our interests with the interests of society.
Happiness consists not so much in possession as in the process of taking possession of the object of our desires.
The happiness of men consists in doing with love what they have to do.
Those who want to know and listen to different opinions are much more capable of knowing the truth: like the horse that, having traveled the length and breadth of the country, knows it better than the horse tied to the cart and always going on a limited road.
Only he who has not studied himself can consider himself safe from envy.
It takes more brains to play your ideas than to have them. Many people who are considered wise, write works of inferior quality.
Do you want people to appreciate you? Value their mind.
Pleasure must be a reward for work.
We often sacrifice life's greatest joys in order to be proud of having sacrificed them.
Man is the teacher of all the things that surround him, of all the situations in which he is put to the test.
What is morality? The science of the understandings people make to live together as happily as possible. The real goal of this science is the happiness of the greatest possible number of people.
I would advise you to take the seat in the center of the Wheel of Fortune: even if you won't be able to climb high enough, at least you won't go down too low.
I continue to study, my education is not over yet. When will it end? When I will no longer be able to study: after death. To be honest, my whole life is nothing but continuous training.
In solitude, man is a powerless being, but in communion with others he becomes strong. The penetrating look of the friend, able to reach the heart, his advice, his caresses remove and lift everything that oppresses him.
What does human education consist of? What should she rely on? As. All the laws of nature are subject to it, as are all our clear and correct concepts, our beautiful and noble feelings of applying our forces to our goodness, happiness, and delight: only measure nourishes and educates us, measure forms and preserves creation.
The greatest tyrants on earth are chance and time.
If man's tongue is weak, cumbersome, confused, unclear, uneducated, then probably the mind is also the same, because man thinks only through language.