He had the vanity to believe men did not like him – while men simply did not know him.

Everyone, either from modesty or egotism, hides away the best and most delicate of his soul’s possessions; to gain the esteem of others, we must only ever show our ugliest sides; this is how we keep ourselves on the common level

I have come to have the firm conviction that vanity is the basis of everything, and finally that what one calls conscience is only inner vanity.

You must write for yourself, above all. That is your only hope of creating something beautiful.

The better a work is, the more it attracts criticism; it is like the fleas who rush to jump on white linens.

One mustn't ask apple trees for oranges, France for sun, women for love, life for happiness.