“The costliness of keeping friends does not lie in what one does for them, but in what one, out of consideration for them, refrains from doing.”

The man-at-arms is the only man.

The younger generation will come knocking at my door.

It’s such sport with these heroes of finance: they are like beads on a string – when one slips off, all the rest follow.

To crave for happiness in this world is simply to be possessed by a spirit of revolt. What right have we to happiness?

The starving poet business is no good nowadays.

In great memories there lies the seed of growth.

The greatest victory is defeat.

The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That’s one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population — the intelligent ones or the fools?

Money brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintances, but not friends.

To die in agony upon a cross Does not create a martyr; he must first Will his own execution.

I’m plotting revolution against this lie that the majority has a monopoly of the truth. What are these truths that always bring the majority rallying round? Truths so elderly they are practically senile. And when a truth is as old as that, gentlemen, you can hardly tell it from a lie.

The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.

I go to scale the Future’s possibilities! Farewell!

That is the accursed thing about small surroundings — they make the soul small.

Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt.

A thousand words can’t make the mark a single deed will leave.

The only one who doesn’t make mistakes is the one who doesn’t do anything.

A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.

The Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other.

You have to stand up and say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with me or my shape or who I am; you’re the one with the problem!’

One of my favourite things to do is compete for a crowd. It’s just really fun for me.

The fruits of one’s sweat and mental labour are always rewarding.

Pacifism, the preaching of peace in the abstract, is one of the means of duping the working class.

If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking.