“Slavery…dishonors labor. It introduces idleness into society, and with idleness, ignorance and pride, luxury and distress. It enervates the powers of the mind and benumbs the activity of man.”

However energetically society in general may strive to make all the citizens equal and alike, the personal pride of each individual will always make him try to escape from the common level, and he will form some inequality somewhere to his own profit.

I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.

A man’s admiration of absolute government is proportionate to the contempt he feels for those around him.

There is no country in the world in which everything can be provided for by the laws, or in which political institutions can prove a substitute for common sense and public morality.

As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?

Any measure that establishes legal charity on a permanent basis and gives it an administrative form thereby creates an idle and lazy class, living at the expense of the industrial and working class.

As the past has ceased to throw its light upon the future, the mind of man wanders in obscurity.

Men will not receive the truth from their enemies, and it is seldom offered to them by their friends.

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

The most perilous moment for a bad government is when it seeks to mend its ways. Only consummate statecraft can enable a king to save his throne when, after a long spell of oppression, he sets out to improve the lot of his subjects.

As for me, I am deeply a democrat; this is why I am in no way a socialist. Democracy and socialism cannot go together. You can’t have it both ways. Socialism is a new form of slavery.

The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.

America is a country where they have freedom of speech but everyone says the same thing.

There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.

Despotism often presents itself as the repairer of all the ills suffered, the support of just rights, defender of the oppressed, and founder of order.

Equality is a slogan based on envy. It signifies in the heart of every republican: “Nobody is going to occupy a place higher than I.”

The man who doesn’t know his own ability is ignorant of himself.

I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know.

Never forget that intelligence rules the world and ignorance carry the burden. Therefore, remove yourself as far as possible from ignorance and seek as far as possible to be intelligent.

Intelligence rules the world, ignorance carries the burden.

Ignoring the truth keeps you in the shadows.

There’s none so blind as those who will not listen.

Ignorance and inaction are a matter of life and death.

Life’s too short to let ignorance and hatred win. I choose love.