All excellent things are as difficult as they are rare.

Desire is the very essence of man.

Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand.

For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from force of character.

Pride is pleasure arising from a man's thinking too highly of himself. ~ ETHICS

Freedom is the recognition of necessity. ~ ETHICS

Happiness, pure happiness, is a virtue in itself.

We feel and know that we are eternal.

He who loves according to the guidance of reason strives as much as possible to repay the hatred, anger, or contempt of others toward himself with love and generosity.

I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand.

It is the part of a wise man to feed himself with moderate pleasant food and drink and to take pleasure with perfumes, with the beauty of growing plants, dress, music, sports, and theaters.

Will and intellect are one and the same. ~ ETHICS

Things could not have been brought into being by God in any manner or in any order different from that which has in fact obtained.

The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things. ~ ETHICS

A vain man may become proud and imagine himself pleasing to all when he is in reality a universal nuisance.