Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.

Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.

It seems essential, in relationships and all tasks, that we concentrate only on what is most significant and important

The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.

It is the duty of the human understanding to understand that there are things which it cannot understand, and what those things are. Human understanding has vulgarly occupied itself with nothing but understanding, but if it would only take the trouble to understand itself at the same time it would simply have to posit the paradox.

People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into an animal stupor that gapes at existence and they think they have seen something.

Because of its tremendous solemnity death is the light in which great passions, both good and bad, become transparent, no longer limited by outward appearances.

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.

Father in Heaven! When the thought of thee wakes in our hearts let it not awaken like a frightened bird that flies about in dismay, but like a child waking from its sleep with a heavenly smile.

Prayer does not change God, but changes him who prays.