“A reflective, contented mind is the best possession.”

“The best part of human language, properly so called, is derived from reflection on the acts of the mind itself.”

“Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury - to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.”

“To be content with what we possess is the greatest and most secure of riches.”

“The envious man desires some good which another possesses; the jealous man would often be content to be without the good so that that other did not possess it.”

“For Genet, reflective states of mind are the rule. And although they are of an unstable nature in everyone, in him…reflection is always contrary to the reflected feeling.”

“It was a mistake to speak one’s mind at any time, unless it perfectly matched your political purpose; and it never did. Best to strip all statements of real content, this was a basic law of diplomacy.”

“A mind content both crown and kingdom is.”

“Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife.”

“It is logical to assert that all matter possesses a property which is essentially akin to sensation, the property of reflection.”