Voltaire, pseud. de Fran�ois-Marie Arouet

France
21 Nov 1694 // 30 May 1778
Philosopher / Writer / Historian

Quotes

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When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion
When he to whom one speaks does not understand, and he who speaks himself does not understand, that is metaphysics
What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature
We have a natural right to make use of our pens as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard
We cannot always oblige; but we can always speak obligingly
We are rarely proud when we are alone
Very often, say what you will, a knave is only a fool
Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy
To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays