“Oh, are not the pleasures in life, in this daily round, trifling compared with the pains!”

“Pleasure is never as pleasant as we expected it to be and pain is always more painful. The pain in the world always outweighs the pleasure. If you don't believe it, compare the respective feelings of two animals, one of which is eating the other.”

“When you've suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.”

“I understand pain. I've lived with pain my entire life. But pain is nothing compared to betrayal. And betrayal is nothing compared to knowing that the javelin in your back was rammed there by the one person in your life you actually trusted.”

“What is all human conduct but the daily and hourly sale of our souls for trifles?”

“Why not make a daily pleasure out a daily necessity.”

“Every pleasure raises the tide of life; every pain lowers the tide of life.”

“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you're in control of your life. If you don't, life controls you.”

“Privilege of greatness. It is the privilege of greatness to grant supreme pleasure through trifling gifts.”

“One of my greatest pleasures in life is promising myself I will not drink, or smoke, or take coke, or do heroin, or eat cookies, then doing it. It’s a pleasure that can be repeated daily.”