Voltaire

The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error.

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.

Clever tyrants are never punished.

It is not known precisely where angels dwell whether in the air, the void, or the planets. It has not been God’s pleasure that we should be informed of their abode.

To the wicked, everything serves as pretext.

Let us work without theorizing, tis the only way to make life endurable.

Poverty consist in feeling poor.

Life at its noblest leaves mere happiness far behind; and indeed cannot endure it. Happiness is not the object of life: life has no object: it is an end in itself; and courage consists in the readiness to sacrifice happiness for an intenser quality of life.

It is reasonable to have perfection in our eye that we may always advance toward it, though we know it can never be reached.

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

Revenge is the act of passion, vengeance is an act of justice.

By all means let’s be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.

Do the wise thing and the kind thing too, and make the best of us and not the worst.

In peace, as a wise man, he should make suitable preparation for war.

The walking of Man is falling forwards.

As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent.

All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation.

That observation which is called knowledge of the world will be found much more frequently to make men cunning than good.

Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world.

Of all debts men are least willing to pay the taxes. What a satire is this on government! Everywhere they think they get their moneys worth, except for these.

Usually the modest person passes for someone reserved, the silent for a sullen person.