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

A recluse without books and ink is already in life a dead man.

The savants will write excellent volumes. There will be laureates. But wars will continue just the same until the forces of the circumstances render them impossible.

If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.

Contentment is the only real wealth.

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.

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.

Go forth and attack, don’t hesitate and wait. For its always yours to win. Take what you want out of life. Is a life truly lived, if a life is without sin?

Life works in mysterious ways and rejection is more a sign of guidance rather than an attack. You have to learn to be patient and open-hearted. Opportunity comes to those who wait.

For women, the best way to defend is to attack, and the best way to attack is a sudden and inexplicable retreat.

Sexual intercourse is a slight attack of apoplexy.

Attacking people with disabilities is the lowest display of power I can think of.

The more things you can approach with an “attack” mindset, the better off you will be.

If you choose to do something, attack it.

Many a spoken word is more piercing than an attack.