"The most spiritual men, as the strongest, find their happiness where others would find their ruin: in the labyrinth, in hardness against themselves and others, in experiments."

"The value of a man is not measured by how much he loves, but by how much he is loved."

"Morality, insofar as it condemns for its own sake, and not out of regard for the concerns, considerations, and contrivances of life, is a specific error with which one ought to have no pity – an idios…"

"A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends."

"Life is hard to bear: but do not pretend to be so delicate! We are all of us fine sumpter asses and assesses."