Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.

If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.

In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.

When he talked politics, it was with me, or my sister, pointing a steady and patient finger at us, saying, "I don't care about left or right. It's all nonsense. All I ask of you is this: Be kind. Be decent. And don't be greedy.

(on his thought on excessive nationalism) ...the country was no doubt very important, but that there was no need at all to act the clown by talking about it all the time, as if one were completely possessed by it.