Andre Gide

What would there be in a story of happiness? Only what prepares it, only what destroys it can be told.

Man is more interesting than men. God made him and not them in his image. Each one is more precious than all.

What another would have done as well as you, do not do it. What another would have said as well as you, do not say it; what another would have written as well, do not write it. Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself-and thus make yourself indispensable.

Great authors are admirable in this respect: in every generation they make for disagreement. Through them we become aware of our differences.

Fish die belly upward, and rise to the surface. Its their way of falling.

I owe much to my friends; but, all things considered, it strikes me that I owe even more to my enemies. The real person springs life under a sting even better than under a caress.