“Between two words, choose the lesser one.”

Original: Entre deux mots, il faut choisir le moindre. — A compact principle of verbal economy and precision. · Tel quel (French)

• Precision
• Words
• Writing

“Politeness is organised indifference.”

Original: La politesse, c'est l'indifférence organisée. — A cool, paradoxical definition of courtesy as a social system for regulating personal involvement. · Marginalia Rhumbs (French)

• Behaviour
• Politeness
• Society

“Every philosophy could be reduced to laboriously seeking what one already knows naturally.”

Original: Toute philosophie pourrait se réduire à rechercher laborieusement cela même que l'on sait naturellement. — Valéry presents philosophy as a difficult return to truths that ordinary intuition may already contain. · Mauvaises pensées et autres (French)

• Knowledge
• Philosophy
• Reflection