“Good wishes alone will not ensure peace.”

I am a misanthrope yet utterly benevolent.

My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world conventions. As soon as men will find that in one instant, whole armies can be utterly destroyed, they surely will abide by golden peace.

The only true solution would be a convention under which all the governments would bind themselves to defend collectively any country that was attacked.

Lying is the greatest of all sins.

Nature is man’s teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence.

For me writing biographies is impossible, unless they are brief and concise, and these are, I feel, the most eloquent.

One can state, without exaggeration, that the observation of and the search for similarities and differences are the basis of all human knowledge.

It is not sufficient to be worthy of respect in order to be respected.

I am a misanthrope and yet utterly benevolent, have more than one screw loose yet am a super-idealist who digests philosophy more efficiently than food.

It is my express wish that in awarding the [Nobel Prizes] no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not.

A heart can no more be forced to love than a stomach can be forced to digest food by persuasion.

The truthful man is usually a liar.

Lawyers have to make a living, and can only do so by inducing people to believe that a straight line is crooked.

My home is where I work, and I work everywhere.

For my part, I wish all guns with their belongings and everything could be sent to hell, which is the proper place for their exhibition and use.

I would not leave anything to a man of action as he would be tempted to give up work; on the other hand, I would like to help dreamers as they find it difficult to get on in life.

We are all a quarter good, a quarter bad, a quarter animal and a quarter child which equals a whole bunch of crazy.

I do not believe in god because I do not believe in Mother Goose.

For the sake of goodness and love, man shall let death have no sovereignty over his thoughts.

A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.

A good laugh makes any interview, or any conversation, so much better.

When Good Friday comes, these are the moments in life when we feel there’s no hope. But then, Easter comes.

Find the good and celebrate it.

Very negative is a positive. The bad things that happen to me, I somehow make them good.