Voltaire

Ice-cream is exquisite – what a pity it isn’t illegal.

My life is a struggle.

The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.

Stand upright, speak thy thoughts, declare The truth thou hast, that all may share; Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare.

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.

The first step, my son, which one makes in the world, is the one on which depends the rest of our days.

Words will not fail when the matter is well considered.

The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.

What is wrong with priests and popes is that instead of being apostles and saints, they are nothing but empirics who say I know instead of I am learning, and pray for credulity and inertia as wise men pray for skepticism and activity.

Genius always finds itself a century too early.

The world is upheld by the veracity of good men: they make the earth wholesome. They who lived with them found life glad and nutritious. Life is sweet and tolerable only in our belief in such society.

If a man will kick a fact out of the window, when he comes back he finds it again in the chimney corner.

It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly.

Poor fellow! I think he is in love with you.’ I am not aware of it. And to me it is one of the most odious things in a girl’s life, that there must always be some supposition of falling in love coming between her and any man who is kind to her… I have no ground for the nonsensical vanity of fancying everybody who comes near me is in love with me.

He that complies against his will is of his own opinion still.

He was at a starting point which makes many a man’s career a fine subject for betting, if there were any gentlemen given to that amusement who could appreciate the complicated probabilities of an arduous purpose, with all the possible thwartings and furtherings of circumstance, all the niceties of inward balance, by which a man swings and makes his point or else is carried headlong.

Laws control the lesser man… Right conduct controls the greater one.

Our passions do not live apart in locked chambers but dress in their small wardrobe of notions, bring their provisions to a common table and mess together, feeding out of the common store according to their appetite.

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

Travel is a fools paradise.

Socialists think profits are a vice; I consider losses the real vice.