The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.

Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.

The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill.

Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all.

Writing is the supreme solace.

If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom, and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too.

There are two good things in life - freedom of thought and freedom of action.

Any nation that thinks more of its ease and comfort than its freedom will soon lose its freedom; and the ironical thing about it is that it will lose its ease and comfort too.

It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.

We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.

Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.

Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.

It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one's dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent.

Marriage is a very good thing, but I think it's a mistake to make a habit out of it.

Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five.

Money is the string with which a sardonic destiny directs the motions of its puppets.

The crown of literature is poetry.

Anyone can tell the truth, but only very few of us can make epigrams.

The world in general doesn't know what to make of originality; it is startled out of its comfortable habits of thought, and its first reaction is one of anger.

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.

Impropriety is the soul of wit.

I can imagine no more comfortable frame of mind for the conduct of life than a humorous resignation.

You are not angry with people when you laugh at them. Humor teaches tolerance.

Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.

If you want to eat well in England, eat three breakfasts.