Giacomo Casanova

I have always loved truth so passionately that I have often resorted to lying as a way of introducing it into the minds which were ignorant of its charms.

It is only necessary to have courage, for strength without self-confidence is useless.

I have loved women even to madness, but I have always loved liberty better.

We ourselve are the authors of almost all our woes and griefs, of which we so unreasonably complain.

Cheating is a sin, but honest cunning is simply prudence. It is a virtue. To be sure, it has a likeness to roguery, but that cannot be helped. He who has not learned to practice it is a fool.