The Desire To Be Thought Clever Often

The World More Often Rewards The Appearances Of Merit Than Merit Itself.

We Get So Much In The Habit Of Wearing Disguises Before Others That We Finally Appear Disguised Before Ourselves.

It Is As Easy To Deceive One's Self Without Perceiving It, As It Is Difficult To Deceive Others Without Their Finding Out.

There Are Crimes Which Become Innocent And Even Glorious Through Their Splendor, Number And Excess.

Things Often Offer Themselves To Our Mind In A More Finished Form In The Very First Thought, Than We Might Have Made Them By Muchart And Study.