“In order to know virtue, we must first acquaint ourselves with vice.”

“In order to know virtue, we must first acquaint ourselves with vice. Marquis de Sade”

“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”

“We all deserve to be treated with nothing but respect. In order to command respect from others, we must first and foremost respect ourselves.”

“One must get used to speaking of one’s virtues bravely, to people’s faces. Who is to know, if not we ourselves, to what degree we are good?”

“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the neverending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.”