This happiness consisted of nothing else but the harmony of the few things around me with my own existence a feeling of contentment and well-being that needed no changes and no intensification.

The consuming desire of most human beings is deliberately to plant their whole life in the hands of some other person. I would describe this method of searching for happiness as immature. Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.

It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing or in disbelieving it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.

Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles but in avoiding them. A masterly retreat is in itself a victory.

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

Happiness does not consist in self-love.

True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends but in the worth and choice.

The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.

A pure democracy is a society consisting of a small number of citizens who assemble and administer the government in person.

The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries.