Every one bears within him an image of woman, inherited from his
mother: it determines his attitude towards woman as a whole, whether to
honour, despise, or remain generally indifferent to them. 1, 295-296
Mothers are readily jealous of the friends of sons who are particularly
successful. As a rule mother loves _herself_ in her son more than the
son. 1, 296
If married couples did not live together, happy marriages would be more
frequent. 1, 298
As a rule women love a distinguished man to the extent that they wish
to possess him exclusively. They would gladly keep him under lock and
key, if their vanity did not forbid, but vanity demands that he should
also appear distinguished before others. 1, 299
Those girls who mean to trust exclusively to their youthful charms
for their provision in life, and whose cunning is further prompted by
worldly mothers, have just the same aims as courtesans, only they are
wiser and less honest. 1, 300
For goodness' sake let us not give our classical education to girls!
1, 301
The intellect of woman manifests itself as perfect mastery, presence
of mind, and utilisation of all advantages. They transmit it as a
fundamental quality to their children, and the father adds thereto the
darker background of the will. His influence determines as it were
the rhythm and harmony with which the new life is to be performed;
but its melody is derived from the mother. For those who know how to
put a thing properly: women have intelligence, men have character and
passion. This does not contradict the fact that men actually achieve
so much more with their intelligence: they have deeper and more
powerful impulses; and it is these which carry their understanding (in
itself something passive) to such an extent. Women are often silently
surprised at the great respect men pay to their character. When,
therefore, in the choice of a partner men seek specially for a being
of deep and strong character, and women for a being of intelligence,
brilliancy, and presence of mind, it is plain that at bottom men seek
for the ideal man, and women for the ideal woman,--consequently not
for the complement but for the completion of their own excellence.
1, 302-303.