…she had never met anyone with whom she could compare herself, and therefore could not form a proper opinion of herself.
Where ambition is involved, there is no room for sincerity.
Our ridiculous traits are usually born out of beautiful feelings, virtues, or abilities taken to extremes.
Far from the center where great minds shine, where the very air is saturated with thought, where everything is constantly renewed, even education becomes outdated, and taste spoils like stagnant water.
An angel who must not be tempted — what kind of angel is that?
Blessed are those who have known hell on Earth!
…repentance from time to time — is a great hypocrisy.
Only an equal can be a judge.
Halfway from Paris to Italy, do not yet ask where Rome is.
Steadfastness is the foundation of virtue.
Gentleness and tolerance are qualities that testify to the nobility of the soul.
…before writing comedies, Dashiel wanted first to become a great philosopher…
Talent is a phenomenon of the spirit, and like all living things, it is prone to illness in its infancy. Society rejects deficient talents just as nature eliminates the weak or the deformed. Whoever desires to rise above others must be ready for struggle and must not retreat before any difficulty.
The mind is a lever by which one can lift the Earth.
People who once played a significant role in the provinces cannot easily reconcile themselves to the complete and sudden loss of their standing.
When you have no need to make small sacrifices to meet the demands of good manners, you get used to laxness.
Never offer help unless you are asked for it.
