As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly.

Cucumber should be well sliced, dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out.

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.

When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.

Classical quotation is the parole of literary men all over the world.

A man who uses a great many words to express his meaning is like a bad marksman who, instead of aiming a single stone at an object, takes up a handful and throws at it in hopes he may hit.

There are minds so impatient of inferiority that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain.

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts.

Because they are ignorant and their parents are ignorant. Because they don’t know any better.” Pastel Orphans

Better to be happy with the cod fish in your plate now, than to linger for the taste of a tuna that is still swimming in the sea.

Despise your heart. I wanted to. I didn't want to grieve anymore, to feel loss or guilt, or worry. I wanted to be hard, calculating. I wanted to be fearless.

My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity.

Why would I hate you?""Because I was being, as Oscar made a point of telling me later, the most unlikable version of myself

The whole of what we know is a system of compensations. Each suffering is rewarded each sacrifice is made up every debt is paid.

Q: Prove God doesn’t exist. A: That’s a tough one. Show me how it’s done by proving Zeus and Apollo don’t exist, and I’ll use your method.

More customers for Canadian oil means that Canadian producers can charge more for their oil, which then means that American businesses and consumers will pay more for oil.

If the idea of revolution is to win out, it must be through political enlightenment. It is useless to try to impose it by force of arms.

When asked whether he minded if someone smoked in a non-smoking compartment. Certainly not if you don't object if I'm sick.