The soul is pure when it leaves the body and drags nothing bodily with it, by virtue of having no willing association with the body in life but avoiding it. . . . . . . Practicing philosophy in the right way is a training to die easily.
Truth is in things, and not in words.
Aside from higher considerations, charity often operates as a vastly wise and prudent principle-a great safeguard to its possessor. Men have committed murder for jealousy's sake, and anger's sake, and hatred's sake, and selfishness' sake, and spiritual pride's sake; but no man that ever I heard of, ever committed a diabolical murder for sweet charity's sake. Mere self-interest, then, if no better motive can be enlisted, should, especially with high-tempered men, prompt all beings to charity and philanthropy.
And so, through all the thick mists of the dim doubts in my mind, divine intuitions now and then shoot, enkindling my fog with a heavenly ray. And for this I thank God; for all have doubts; many deny; but doubts or denials, few along with them, have intuitions. Doubts of all things earthly, and intuitions of some things heavenly; this combination makes neither believer nor infidel, but makes a man who regards them both with equal eye.
Ladies are like creeds; if you cannot speak well of them, say nothing.
All deep, earnest thinking is but the intrepid effort of the soul to keep the open independence of her sea, while the wildest winds of heaven and earth conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore.
The only true infidelity is for a live man to vote himself dead.
. . . available people are the ones who are dangerous, because they confront us with the possibility of real intimacy.
Understand that if a deep desire lives in your heart, a dream that is part of your soul's fiber, a path exists to bring it to life.
Luxury is the opposite of the naturally necessary.
I know the well of my maternal incompetence is deep but I am determined to siphon up a calm and breathing hope for him.