“When we reach the goal, we believe that the path was the right one.”

Original: Quand nous parvenons au but, nous croyons que le chemin a été le bon. — A sceptical observation on hindsight and the human tendency to justify the route by its outcome. · Mauvaises pensées et autres (French)

• Achievement
• Hindsight
• Judgement

“The spirit, a man of spirit once told me, is merely stupidity in motion; and genius is stupidity in a frenzy.”

Original: L'esprit, me disait un homme d'esprit, ce n'est que la bêtise en mouvement; et le génie, c'est la bêtise en fureur. — A deliberately paradoxical attack on the flattering distinctions people make about intelligence and genius. · Tel quel (French)

• Genius
• Intelligence
• Irony

“Vanity, the great enemy of selfishness, can produce all the effects of love of one's neighbour.”

Original: La vanité, grande ennemie de l'égoïsme, peut engendrer tous les effets de l'amour du prochain. — Even a questionable motive such as vanity can sometimes produce socially generous behaviour. · Tel quel (French)

• Behaviour
• Generosity
• Vanity