“It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety.”
“You’ll never get that freedom back again once people start paying you attention, and especially not once they start paying you money.”
“Obviously crime pays, or there'd be no crime.”
“A commodity appears at first sight an extremely obvious, trivial thing. But its analysis brings out that it is a very strange thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties.”
“Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving. You have lost no reputation at all unless you repute yourself such a loser.”
“Is is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments. Especially impertinent compliments. ”