C'est dans l'absolue ignorance de notre raison d'être qu'est la racine de notre tristesse et de nos dégoûts. - Anatole France

"The Christian state," said St. Cornelius, "is not without serious inconveniences for a penguin. In it the birds are obliged to work out their own salvation. How can they succeed? The habits of birds are, in many points, contrary to the commandments of the Church, and the penguins have no reason for changing theirs. I mean that they are not intelligent enough to give up their present habits and assume better."

Those who have given themselves the most concern about the happiness of peoples have made their neighbors very miserable.

"I am but a miserable sinner, but I have found, in my long life, that the cenobite has no foe worse than sadness".