We do not wish ardently for what we desire only through reason.
Boredom ... causes us to neglect more duties than does interest.
One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one.
We are so used to dissembling with others that in time we come to deceive and dissemble with ourselves.
Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors.
Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done as the fear of the consequences.
It is great folly to wish to be wise all alone.
Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever.
It is with true love as it is with ghosts everyone talks about it, but few have seen it.
The happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than fortune.
If we are to judge of love by its consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.
Though men are apt to flatter and exalt themselves with their great achievements, yet these are, in truth, very often owing not so much to design as chance.
We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them.
In the misfortunes of our best friends we always find something not altogether displeasing to us.
We are all strong enough to bear other men's misfortunes.
Old men are fond of giving good advice to console themselves for their inability to give bad examples.
We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.
A great many men's gratitude is nothing but a secret desire to hook in more valuable kindnesses hereafter.
Being a blockhead is sometimes the best security against being cheated by a man of wit.
True love is like ghosts which everybody talks about and few have seen.