Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect. Every advance into knowledge opens new prospects, and produces new incitements to farther progress.

Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult.

To have the management of the mind is a great art, and it may be attained in a considerable degree by experience and habitual exercise...Let him take a course of chemistry, or a course of rope-dance, or a course of any thing to which he is inclined at the time. Let him contrive to have as many retreats for his mind as he can, as many things to which it can fly from itself.

We seldom learn the true want of what we have till it is discovered that we can have no more.

Every man is rich or poor according to the proportion between his desires and his enjoyments.

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.

Philosophers there are who try to make themselves believe that this life is happy; but they believe it only while they are saying it, and never yet produced conviction in a single mind.

All severity that does not tend to increase good, or prevent evil, is idle.

Reproof should not exhaust its power upon petty failings.