“Men, indeed, appear to me to act in a very unphilosophical manner when they try to secure the good conduct of women by attempting to keep them always in a state of childhood.”

If children are to be educated to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother must be a patriot.

The appetites will rule if the mind is vacant.

The honour of the woman is not made even to depend on her will.

It is vain to expect virtue from women till they are in some degree independent of men.

Virtue flies from a house divided against itself—and a whole legion of devils take up their residence there.

I do not wish them women to have power over men; but over themselves.

Taught from infancy that beauty is woman’s sculpture the mind shapes itself to the body and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.

True sensibility, the sensibility which is the auxiliary of virtue, and the soul of genius, is in society so occupied with the feelings of others, as scarcely to regard its own sensations.

Let woman share the rights, and she will emulate the virtues of man; for she must grow more perfect when emancipated, or justify the authority that chains such a weak being to her duty.

Women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions which men think it manly to pay to their sex, when, in fact, men are insultingly supporting their own superiority.

Few, I believe, have had much affection for mankind, who did not first love their parents, their brothers, sisters, and even the domestic brutes, whom they first played with.

We must all be in love once in our lives.

The man who had some virtue whilst he was struggling for a crown, often becomes a voluptuous tyrant when it graces his brow.

Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections, because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time.

I gazed around with rapture, and felt more of that spontaneous pleasure which gives credibility to our expectation of happiness than I had for a long, long time before.

Men of genius and talents have started out of a class, in which women have never yet been placed.

When you have a good mother and no father, God kind of sits in. It’s not enough, but it helps.

I’ve had extraordinary good luck with my health, other than a broken elbow.

The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.

Once I realized the value of making people laugh, I got very good at it. Fast.

It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risks everything.

Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons.

I just want to be like a good example to somebody in the future.

Good guys don’t always win, especially when they are divided and less determined than their adversaries.