“The truth is forced upon us, very quickly, by a foe.”

Words give wings to the mind and make a man soar to heaven.

I would treat her like an egg, the shell of which we remove before eating it; I would take off her mask and then kiss her pretty face.

An insult directed at the wicked is not to be censured; on the contrary, the honest man, if he has sense, can only applaud.

Love is merely the name for the desire and pursuit of the whole.

There’s no art where there’s no fee.

How can I study from below, that which is above?

Does it seem that everything is extravagance in the world, or rather madness, when you watch the way things go? A crowd of rogues enjoy blessings they have won by sheer injustice, while more honest folks are miserable and die of hunger.

It should not prejudice my voice that I’m not born a man, if I say something advantageous to the present situation. For I’m taxed too, and as a toll provide men for the nation.

Why, I’d like nothing better than to achieve some bold adventure, worthy of our trip.

You cannot teach a crab to walk straight.

First listen, my friend, and then you may shriek and bluster.

Do not bandy words with your father, nor treat him as a dotard, nor reproach the old man, who has cherished you, with his age.

A man should be able to stand up under any disaster for his country’s good.

A demagogue must be neither an educated nor an honest man; he has to be an ignoramus and a rogue.

Times change. The vices of your age are stylish today.

Woman is adept at getting money for herself and will not easily let herself be deceived; she understands deceit too well herself.

Russia is a part of European culture. Therefore, it is with difficulty that I imagine NATO as an enemy.

You’ve got enemies? Good, that means you actually stood up for something.

We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them.

United you will be more than a match for your enemies. But if you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy of those who attack you.

Your worst enemy, he reflected, was your own nervous system. At any moment the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom.

I Used to have friends now but I got enemies.

More than those who hate you, more than all your enemies, an undisciplined mind does greater harm.

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.