Voltaire

He who has not the spirit of this age, has all the misery of it.

Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.

This self-love is the instrument of our preservation; it resembles the provision for the perpetuity of mankind: it is necessary, it is dear to us, it gives us pleasure, and we must conceal it.

The ancients recommended us to sacrifice to the Graces, but Milton sacrificed to the Devil.

One great use of words is to hide our thoughts.

Better is the enemy of good.

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.

You cannot kill time without injuring eternity.

Nations! What are nations? Tartars! and Huns! and Chinamen! Like insects they swarm. The historian strives in vain to make them memorable. It is for want of a man that there are so many men. It is individuals that populate the world.

Men are seldom more commonplace than on supreme occasions.

A man should be just cultured enough to be able to look with suspicion upon culture at first, not second hand.

If a man could say nothing against a character but what he can prove, history could not be written.

Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.

We aim above the mark to hit the mark.

Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.

Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.

Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.

If we are but sure the end is right, we are too apt to gallop over all bounds to compass it; not considering the lawful ends may be very unlawfully attained.

The golden rule is that there are no golden rules.

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

Perhaps his might be one of the natures where a wise estimate of consequences is fused in the fires of that passionate belief which determines the consequences it believes in.