“What seems to us serious, significant and important will, in future times, be forgotten or won’t seem important at all.”

Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too.

If you want to work on your art, work on your life.

We shall find peace. We shall hear angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.

People are far more sincere and good-humored at speeding their parting guests than on meeting them.

Life on earth is inconceivable without trees.

Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other.

Women can’t forgive failure.

The secret of boring people lies in telling them everything.

What a delight it is to respect people!

If you ever have need of my life, come and take it.

It’s very hard, feeling that you’re no more than a piece of unwanted furniture in this world.

This life of ours, human life is like a flower gloriously blooming in a meadow: along comes a goat, eats it up–no more flower.

Let us learn to appreciate there will be times when the trees will be bare, and look forward to the time when we may pick the fruit.

Do you see that tree? It is dead but it still sways in the wind with the others. I think it would be like that with me. That if I died I would still be part of life in one way or another.

Write only of what is important and eternal.

If I had listened to the critics I’d have died drunk in the gutter