The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all.

Enthusiasm

Great eagerness in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or honor, cannot exist without sin.

Fools and Foolishness

The entire world is my temple, and a very fine one too, if I'm not mistaken, and I'll never lack priests to serve it as long as there are men.

Habit

A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.

Illusion

What difference is there, do you think, between those in Plato's cave who can only marvel at the shadows and images of various objects, provided they are content and don't know what they miss, and the philosopher who has emerged from the cave and sees the real things?

Literature

If you look at history you'll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.

Philosophers and Philosophy

As an example of just how useless these philosophers are for any practice in life there is Socrates himself, the one and only wise man, according to the Delphic Oracle. Whenever he tried to do anything in public he had to break off amid general laughter. While he was philosophizing about clouds and ideas, measuring a flea's foot and marveling at a midge's humming, he learned nothing about the affairs of ordinary life.

Prevention

Prevention is better than cure.

Talent

Concealed talent brings no reputation.