“I have chosen two concepts to guide my thoughts and actions. They are stronger than the pressure of society, the constraints of morality, the need to procreate, desire for wealth, the promise of Heaven, or the threat of Hell. I live for love and pleasure, or nothing at all.”

“There is a certain dignity in going through life without the promise of Heaven or the threat of Hell.”

“I will tell you, too, that every fairy tale has a moral. The moral of my story may be that love is a constraint, as strong as any belt. And this is certainly true, which makes it a good moral. Or it may be that we are all constrained in some way, either in our bodies, or in our hearts or minds, an Empress as well as the woman who does her laundry. ... Perhaps it is that a shoemaker's daughter can bear restraint less easily than an aristocrat, that what he can bear for three years she can endure only for three days. ... Or perhaps my moral is that our desire for freedom is stronger than love or pity. That is a wicked moral, or so the Church has taught us. But I do not know which moral is the correct one. And that is also the way of a fairy tale.”

“Fear is stronger than love, remember that. Fear is stronger than love, all that love I gave didn't mean nothing when it came to fear.”

“A pleasurable life balances health, wealth and love. Without health, it is hard to enjoy wealth or love. Without wealth, it's difficult to maintain health or focus attention on the ones we love. Without love, a long healthy life and endless riches are nothing more than an empty hollow prison. Excessive focus on any one aspect to the detriment of the other two robs us of a life worth living.”

“I have always thought that Heaven invented all the problems, and Hell the solutions.”