What good is it looking for our happiness in the opinion of others if we can find it in ourselves? - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

resolví no ligarme a nadie sino conservar mi independencia sacando partido de mis conocimientos, cuyo valor comenzaba a conocer al fin y que hasta entonces había juzgado con harta modestia.

Dès lors qu'elle dépend à la fois de sa propre conscience et des opinions des autres, il faut qu'elle apprenne à comparer ces deux règles, à les concilier, et à ne préférer la première que quand elles sont en opposition. [...] Rien de tout cela ne peut bien se faire sans cultiver son esprit ou sa raison.

Princes always are always happy to see developing among their subjects the taste for agreeable arts and for superfluities which do not result in the export of money. For quite apart from the fact that with these they nourish that spiritual pettiness so appropriate for servitude, they know very well that all the needs which people give themselves are so many chains binding them. When Alexander wished to keep the Ichthyophagi dependent on him, he forced them to abandon fishing and to nourish themselves on foods common to other people. And no one has been able to subjugate the savages in America, who go around quite naked and live only from what their hunting provides. In fact, what yoke could be imposed on men who have no need of anything?