Mika Waltari

So much is man the slave of his heart that he will shut his eyes to what does not please him and believe all that he hopes.

During my life I have seen, known, and lost too much to be the prey of vain dread; and, as for the hope of immortality, I am as weary of that as I am of gods and kings. For my own sake only I write this; and herein I differ from all other writers, past and to come.

A decision once taken brings peace to a man's mind and eases his soul.

So foolish is the heart of man that he ever puts his hope in the future, learning nothing from his past errors and fancying that tomorrow must be better than today.