The first and best victory is to conquer self; to be conquered by self is of all things most shameful and vile

A dog has the soul of a philosopher.

The highest form of pure thought is in mathematics

Pleasure is the bait of sin

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors

That politician who curries favor with the citizens and indulges them and fawns upon them and has a presentiment of their wishes, and is skillful in gratifying them, he is esteemed a great statesman

Poetry comes nearer to vital truth than history

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something

Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet

Love is a serious mental disease