"Before strongly desiring anything, we should look..." - Quote by Francois De La Rochefoucauld

“Sometimes we meet a fool with wit, never one with discretion.”

“On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only disguised ambition - which despises small interests to gain great ones.”

“If it were not for the company of fools, a witty man would often be greatly at a loss.”

“Curiosity is gluttony. To see is to devour.”

“Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy they are, who already possess it.”

“Desire something and don't just care what you have to go through to get it.”

“The secret of a happy life lies in renunciation. Renunciation is life.”

“Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety.”

“We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and -- in spite of True Romance magazines -- we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely -- at least, not all the time -- but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.”