The three great apostles of practical atheism, that make converts without persecuting and retain them without preaching are Wealth, Health and Power.
Men will wrangle for religion, write for it, fight for it, die for it, anything but live for it.
We are sure to be losers when we quarrel with ourselves; it is civil war.
Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
Success seems to be that which forms the distinction between confidence and conceit.
Pure truth, like pure gold, has been found unfit for circulation because men have discovered that it is far more convenient to adulterate the truth than to refine themselves.
Wealth ... is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much but wants more.
A windmill is eternally at work to accomplish one end, although it shifts with every variation of the weather cock, and assumes 10 different positions in a day.
If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself ~ all that runs over will be yours.
Friendship often ends in love. But love in friendship; never.
Suicide sometimes proceeds from cowardice, but not always; for cowardice sometimes prevents it; since as many live because they are afraid to die, as die because they are afraid to live
Men spend their lives in anticipations,βin determining to be vastly happy at some period when they have time. But the present time has one advantage over every otherβit is our own. Past opportunities are gone, future have not come. We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer the tasting of them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.
Our admiration of fine writing will always be in proportion to its real difficulty and its apparent ease.
To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.
The firmest friendships have been formed in mutual adversity, as iron is most strongly united by the fiercest flame
most men know what they hate; few what they love
Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away.
There are two way of establishing a reputation, one to be praised by honest people and the other to be accused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the first one, because it will always be accompanied by the latter.
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
Next to acquiring good friends, the best acquisition is that of good books.