Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck.
Guy de Maupassant

It is better to be unhappy in love than unhappy in marriage, but some people manage to be both.
Guy de Maupassant

It is the lives we encounter that make life worth living.
Guy de Maupassant

Patriotism is a kind of religion; it is the egg from which wars are hatched.
Guy de Maupassant

The essence of life is the smile of round female bottoms, under the shadow of cosmic boredom.
Guy de Maupassant

The simplest of women are wonderful liars who can extricate themselves from the most difficult dilemmas with a skill bordering on genius.
Guy de Maupassant