Tristan Bernard

“A man of letters must know everything, but he is not obliged to say it.”

“The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good end, and to have the two as close together as possible.”

“Promises only bind those who receive them.”

“A single person is missing, and the whole world is repopulated.”

“To make enemies, you don't have to declare war; you just have to say what you think.”

“Masterpieces are never anything but happy accidents.”

“Gratitude is a canine disease not transmissible to humans.”

“Count only on yourself. And even then, not much.”

“Time spent not laughing is wasted time.”

“Youth is when you don't know what is going to happen.”

“Death is the end of a monologue.”

“One must not despair of idiots. With a little training, they can be turned into soldiers.”

“The optimist is a happy fool, the pessimist a sad fool.”

“The best way to look on the bright side of things is to wait for them to turn over.”

“Sport consists of delegating to the body some of the soul's strongest virtues.”

“The memories of youth grow old with us.”

“Life is a sexually transmitted, fatal disease.”

“I never talk about myself. It's a subject that doesn't interest me.”