Far better to think historically, to remember the lessonsof the past. Thus, far better to conceive of power as consisting in part ofthe knowledge of when not to use all the power you have. Far better to be onewho knows that if you reserve the power not to

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.

Astupid act entails doing the work twice over.

Humoris the affectionate communication of insight.

He whotalks incessantly, talks nonsense.

A man, when he burns, leaves only a handful of ashes. woman can hold him. the wind must blow him away.

It is a strange desire to seek power and to lose liberty,or to seek power over others and to lose power over a man's self.

The exercise of power is determined by thousands ofinteractions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, allthe more so because these worlds are never divided by a sharp line: everyonehas a small part of himself in both.

Theharder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Whilewe consider when to begin, it becomes too late.

Being virtuous is no feat once temptation ceases.

Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is critical