Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own. Charles De Gaulle on character
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality. Jules de Gaultier on beauty
If the secret of being a bore is to tell all, the secret of pleasing is to say just enough to be—not understood, but divined. Remy De Gourmont on bore
Grief at the absence of a loved one is happiness compared to life with a person one hates. Jean De La Bruyère on absence
Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck. Guy de Maupassant on war
Action is coarsened thought; thought becomes concrete, obscure, and unconscious. Henri Frederic Amiel on action
Even on the most exalted throne in the world we areonly sitting on our own bottom. Michel de Montaigne on success
When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not more of a pastime to her than she is to me? Michel Eyquem de Montaigne on animals
Champagne is the only wine a woman can drink and still remain beautiful. Madame de Pompadour on beauty
My manner of thinking, so you say, cannot be approved. Do you suppose I care? A poor fool indeed is he who adopts a manner of thinking for others! My manner of thinking stems straight from my considered reflections; it holds with my existence, with the way I am made. It is not in my power to alter it; and were it, I'd not do so. Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade on individuality
Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry on love
Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew. Francis de Sales on patience
We cease loving ourselves if no one loves us. Madame De Staël on love
Men will never establish any equality with which they can be contented. Whatever efforts a people may make, they will never succeed in reducing all the conditions of society to a perfect level. Alexis de Tocqueville on success
We are almost always guilty of the hate we encounter. Luc De Vauvenargues on hate
The opera is like a husband with a foreign title - expensive to support, hard to understand and therefore a supreme social challenge. Cleveland Amory on humor
You can't make the Duchess of Windsor into Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. The facts of life are very stubborn things. Cleveland Amory on science
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. James Dean on inspiration