Character: Wilhelm Meister

After all, everything is nothing when the only thing that is worth everything else in the eyes of a person is absent.

A burgher must develop some abilities in himself in order to become fit for something, and it is already assumed that in his nature there is not and cannot be any harmony, for in order to make himself fit for one thing, he must neglect everything. the rest.

If a nobleman knows no boundaries in his personal life, if he can be made into a king or a royal figure, then he can appear everywhere with calm confidence in front of his own kind, he can move forward everywhere, while a burgher is best suited for a clear, silent consciousness of the borderline , he is supposed to.

From my earliest youth, my vague desires and intentions were to develop out of myself what I am.

I led a simple life and rarely fell into the temptation to tempt.

It seems that a person knows best his hopes and desires, which he cherishes and keeps in his heart for a long time, and, however, when they meet him, when they seem to be imposed on him, he does not recognize them and retreats.

I would like the stage to be as narrow as the wire of a rope-dancer, so that inept people would not dare to step on it; now everyone considers himself gifted enough to parade on it.

I am convinced that as long as a person lives and moves, he will always find food, even if not the most abundant.

A nobleman can, of course, have friends, but he cannot be a friend himself.

How sweet is the example of faithful servants who sacrificed themselves for the sake of their masters! In this case, fidelity is the desire of a grateful soul to become like a superior. The constant commitment and love of the servant makes him equal to his master, who would otherwise be entitled to regard him as a purchased slave.

How easy it is for a noble to conquer the senses! How easily he captivates hearts! Affectionate, calm, more or less human attitude is already doing miracles, and how many means at his disposal to firmly possess the souls once acquired!

The attitude of the nobles to people of a lower position and to each other is measured by external advantages, they are ready to recognize everyone's rank, position, clothing and furnishings, but not merit.

It is a completely different matter, when a person already at birth occupies a high place in human society. To whom the inherited wealth brought a completely carefree existence, who from his very youth is generously surrounded, so to speak, with an abundance of everything that a person is entitled to, gets used to seeing these benefits as the most important thing in life; the dignity of a person richly gifted by nature is not so noticeable to him.

Money is an excellent thing to do with something.