There is no explanation for evil. It must be looked upon as a necessary part of the order of the universe. To ignore it is childish, to bewail it senseless. – W. Somerset Maugham
Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. – W. Somerset Maugham
Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species. – W. Somerset Maugham
Death doesn’t affect the living because it has not happened yet. Death doesn’t concern the dead because they have ceased to exist. – W. Somerset Maugham
It is well known that Beauty does not look with a good grace on the timid advances of Humour. – W. Somerset Maugham
A man marries to have a home, but also because he doesn’t want to be bothered with sex and all that sort of thing. – W. Somerset Maugham
I made up my mind long ago that life was too short to do anything for myself that I could pay others to do for me. – W. Somerset Maugham
Any nation that thinks more of its ease and comfort than its freedom will soon lose its freedom; and the ironical thing about it is that it will lose its ease and comfort too. – W. Somerset Maugham
The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind. – W. Somerset Maugham
The world in general doesn’t know what to make of originality; it is startled out of its comfortable habits of thought, and its first reaction is one of anger. – W. Somerset Maugham
In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally. – W. Somerset Maugham
My own belief is that there is hardly anyone whose sexual life, if it were broadcast, would not fill the world at large with surprise and horror. – W. Somerset Maugham
Habits in writing as in life are only useful if they are broken as soon as they cease to be advantageous. – W. Somerset Maugham
Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five. – W. Somerset Maugham
It wasn’t until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say, ‘I don’t know.’ – W. Somerset Maugham
It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive. – W. Somerset Maugham
It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. – W. Somerset Maugham
Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all. – W. Somerset Maugham
Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also, in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to be remembered. – W. Somerset Maugham
Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young. – W. Somerset Maugham
It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by censure than by praise. – W. Somerset Maugham
When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character. – W. Somerset Maugham