Rules and models destroy genius and art. - William Hazlitt

"There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love."

"Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted."

"The dupe of friendship, and the fool of love; have I not reason to hate and to despise myself? Indeed I do; and chiefly for not having hated and despised the world enough."

"the old maxim... "there are three things necessary to success in life--Impudence! Impudence! Impudence!"

"Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements. I have known the breach of a promise to dine or sup to break up more than one intimacy."