Optimism is the mania of maintaining that everything is well when we are wretched.

The abuse of grace is affectation, as the abuse of the sublime is absurdity; all perfection is nearly a fault.

The instinct of a man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursue him.

All the persecutors declare against each other mortal war, while the philosopher, oppressed by them all, contents himself with pitying them.

When one man speaks to another man who doesn't understand him, and when the man who's speaking no longer understands, it's metaphysics.

Pleasure is the object, the duty, and the goal of all rational creatures.

There is a pleasure in not being pleased.

Feeble verses are those which sin not against rules, but against genius.

True power and true politeness are above vanity.

We offer up prayers to God only because we have made Him after our own image. We treat Him like a pasha, or a sultan, who is capable of being exasperated and appeased.