Do not weep do not wax indignant. Understand.
I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them
action
I would warn you that I do not attribute to nature either beauty or deformity, order or confusion. Only in relation to our imagination can things be called beautiful or ugly, well-ordered or confused.
beautyimaginationnatureorderugliness
For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice
benevolence
Desire is the very essence of man
desire
Men govern nothing with more difficulty than their tongues, and can moderate their desires more than their words
desirelanguagemankindwords
So long as a man imagines that he cannot do this or that, so long as he is determined not to do it; and consequently so long as it is impossible to him that he should do it
determination
We feel and know that we are eternal
eternity
The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free
freedomlearningmankindunderstanding
Freedom is absolutely necessary for the progress in science and the liberal arts
freedom
God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things
god
The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak
happinessmensilenceworld
All happiness or unhappiness solely depends upon the quality of the object to which we are attached by love
happinesstso-loveunhappiness
Happiness is a virtue, not its reward
happiness
Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many.
ideas