Nature has always had more force than education. education & nature
God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. God
The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death. death, fear & life
Men hate the individual whom they call avaricious only because nothing can be gained from him. men
It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind. being good & patriotism
The ancient Romans built their greatest masterpieces of architecture, their amphitheaters, for wild beasts to fight in. architecture
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another. art, government & money
We are rarely proud when we are alone. being alone
The opportunity for doing mischief is found a hundred times a day, and of doing good once in a year. being good
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices. power
History should be written as philosophy. history
Society therefore is an ancient as the world. society
It is vain for the coward to flee death follows close behind it is only by defying it that the brave escape. death
Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts. men
Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry always gets the best of the argument. best
If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him. God
He who is not just is severe, he who is not wise is sad. sadness
Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense. religion
God is not on the side of the big battalions, but on the side of those who shoot best. best & God
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it. beauty & work
We are all full of weakness and errors let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature. nature
Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. faith & power
He who has not the spirit of this age, has all the misery of it. aging
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes. history
Common sense is not so common. intelligence
To believe in God is impossible not to believe in Him is absurd. God
There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times. men
All men are born with a nose and ten fingers, but no one was born with a knowledge of God. God, knowledge & men
The very impossibility in which I find myself to prove that God is not, discovers to me his existence. God
Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination. imagination, love & nature
I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. death
Satire lies about literary men while they live and eulogy lies about them when they die. men
Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. being good
History is only the register of crimes and misfortunes. history
An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination. government
Fear follows crime and is its punishment. fear
Better is the enemy of good. being good
I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it. God
One merit of poetry few persons will deny: it says more and in fewer words than prose. poetry
The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reason. power & religion
Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others? experience
It is forbidden to kill therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. war
I hate women because they always know where things are. women
He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise. sadness
The infinitely little have a pride infinitely great. greatness
Perfection is attained by slow degrees it requires the hand of time. time
The art of government is to make two-thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third. art & government
To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only the truth. respect & truth
Let us work without theorizing, tis the only way to make life endurable. work
When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion. money & religion
The best is the enemy of the good. best & being good
All the reasonings of men are not worth one sentiment of women. men & women
What a heavy burden is a name that has become too famous. fame
Time, which alone makes the reputation of men, ends by making their defects respectable. being alone, men & time
The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. art & nature
The superfluous, a very necessary thing. being funny
In this country it is a good thing to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others. being good & time
To hold a pen is to be at war. war
The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination. best & government
If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him. God
Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. God
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend provided, of course, he really is dead. greatness
I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom. truth
Very learned women are to be found, in the same manner as female warriors but they are seldom or ever inventors. women
It is said that the present is pregnant with the future. the future
If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated. God
Friendship is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce. friendship & marriage
Divorce is probably of nearly the same date as marriage. I believe, however, that marriage is some weeks the more ancient. marriage
The ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination. government
God gave us the gift of life it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. birthday, God & life
What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy. aging
It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love. love
Stand upright, speak thy thoughts, declare The truth thou hast, that all may share Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare. truth
All styles are good except the tiresome kind. being good
Business is the salt of life. business
The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out. best
One great use of words is to hide our thoughts. greatness
Tears are the silent language of grief. sympathy