I have the fault of being a little more sincere than is proper.

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.

Ah! how annoying that the law doesn’t allow a woman to change husbands just as one does shirts.

Hé quoi ? vous ne ferez nulle distinctionEntre l’hypocrisie et la dévotion? Vous les voulez traiter d’un semblable langage,Et rendre même honneur au masque qu’au visage,Égaler l’artifice à la sincérité,Confondre l’apparence avec la vérité,Estimer le...

Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.

I want to be distinguished from the rest; to tell the truth, a friend to all mankind is not a friend for me.

Sur quelque préférence une estime se fonde,Et c’est n’estimer rien qu’estimer tout le monde.

All which is not prose is verse; and all which is not verse is prose.

I become quite melancholy and deeply grieved to see men behave to each other as they do. Everywhere I find nothing but base flattery, injustice , self-interest, deceit and roguery. I cannot bear it any...

There’s nothing quite like tobacco: it’s the passion of decent folk, and whoever lives without tobacco doesn’t deserve to live.

The fact that scientists do not consciously practice a formal methodology is very poor evidence that no such methodology exists. It could be said—has been said—that there is a distinctive methodology of science which scientists...

As the purpose of comedy is to correct the vices of men, I see no reason why anyone should be exempt.

If perchance a friend should betray you; if he forms a subtle plot to get hold of what is yours; if people should try to spread evil reports about you, would you tamely submit to...

True, Heaven prohibits certain pleasures; but one can generally negotiate a compromise.

Presque tous les hommes meurent de leurs remèdes, et non pas de leurs maladies.

Esteem must be founded on preference: to hold everyone in high esteem is to esteem nothing.

yea, ” and no one contradicts you. But for all that, his bowing and scraping are welcome everywhere; he is received, smiled upon, and wriggles himself into all kinds of society; and, if any appointment...

Don’t appear so scholarly, pray. Humanize your talk, and speak to be understood.

Its as if you think you’d never findReason and the Sacred intertwined

I prefer a pleasant vice to an annoying virtue.

If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble.

We ought to punish pitilessly that shameful pretence of friendly intercourse. I like a man to be a man, and to show on all occasions the bottom of his heart in his discourse. Let that...

No matter what Aristotle and the Philosophers say, nothing is equal to tobacco; it’s the passion of the well-bred, and he who lives without tobacco lives a life not worth living.

Le premier regle est de plaire

I have the knack of easing scruples.

One ought to look a good deal at oneself before thinking of condemning others.

There is nothing I detest so much as the contortions of these great time-and-lip servers, these affable dispensers of meaningless embraces, these obliging utterers of empty words, who view every one in civilities

It is the public scandal that offends; to sin in secret is no sin at all.

Displaying vice to the mockery of men deals it a great blow. Men put up with admonition but are loath to be mocked. One might be willing to be wicked; one cannot bear to appear...

If you make yourself understood, you’re always speaking well.

People don’t mind being mean; but they never want to be ridiculous.

The world, dear Agnes, is a strange affair.

To marry a fool is to be no fool.

All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.

Reason is not what decides love.

There are pretenders to piety as well as to courage.

A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation.

Perfect reason flees all extremity, and leads one to be wise with sobriety.

Man, I can assure you, is a nasty creature.

Solitude terrifies the soul at twenty.

He who follows his lessons tastes a profound peace, and looks upon everybody as a bunch of manure.

My hate is general, I detest all men;Some because they are wicked and do evil,Others because they tolerate the wicked,Refusing them the active vigorous scornWhich vice should stimulate in virtuous minds.

It is a strange enterprise to make respectable people laugh.

Malicious men may die, but malice never.

It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I’m right.

I feed on good soup, not beautiful language.

Betrayed and wronged in everything,I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king,And seek some spot unpeopled and apartWhere I’ll be free to have an honest heart.

A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool.

Writing is a little bit like prostitution. First you do it for love. Then you do it for a few friends. Then you do it for money.

Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.