One should never forget, that society would rather be amused than instructed. - Adolph Freiherr Knigge

One of the most important virtues in social life, a virtue that is becoming less common by the day, is discretion.

Keine Verbindungen pflegen dauerhafter zu sein als die, welche in der frühen Jugend geschlossen werden. Man ist da noch weniger misstrauisch, weniger schwierig in Kleinigkeiten.

In many matters children — not ensnared by dogmatism, passion, or erudition — judge far truer than adults.