A bad book is as much of a labor to write as a good one, it comes as sincerely from the author's soul. being good
Man is an intelligence in servitude to his organs. intelligence
What is absurd and monstrous about war is that men who have no personal quarrel should be trained to murder one another in cold blood. men & war
Idealism is the noble toga that political gentlemen drape over their will to power. power
To his dog, every man is Napoleon hence the constant popularity of dogs. pets
There is something curiously boring about somebody else's happiness. happiness
Man approaches the unattainable truth through a succession of errors. truth
Like every man of sense and good feeling, I abominate work. being good & work
We are all geniuses up to the age of ten. aging
An unexciting truth may be eclipsed by a thrilling lie. truth
It's with bad sentiments that one makes good novels. being good
The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which mean never losing your enthusiasm. aging
Experience is not what happens to you it's what you do with what happens to you. experience & wisdom
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. music
There's only one effectively redemptive sacrifice, the sacrifice of self-will to make room for the knowledge of God. God & knowledge
Specialized meaninglessness has come to be regarded, in certain circles, as a kind of hallmark of true science. science
That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history. history & men
Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead. nature
A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will's freedom after it. freedom
All gods are homemade, and it is we who pull their strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours. power
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad. truth
Science has explained nothing the more we know the more fantastic the world becomes and the profounder the surrounding darkness. science
What we feel and think and are is to a great extent determined by the state of our ductless glands and viscera. greatness
That all men are equal is a proposition to which, at ordinary times, no sane human being has ever given his assent. men
Proverbs are always platitudes until you have personally experienced the truth of them. truth
The worst enemy of life, freedom and the common decencies is total anarchy their second worst enemy is total efficiency. freedom
The impulse to cruelty is, in many people, almost as violent as the impulse to sexual love - almost as violent and much more mischievous. love
Happiness is a hard master, particularly other people's happiness. happiness
The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude. religion
De Sade is the one completely consistent and thoroughgoing revolutionary of history. history
To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. travel
There isn't any formula or method. You learn to love by loving - by paying attention and doing what one thereby discovers has to be done. love
Men do not learn much from the lessons of history and that is the most important of all the lessons of history. history & men
Dream in a pragmatic way. dreams
People intoxicate themselves with work so they won't see how they really are. work
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. technology
Sons have always a rebellious wish to be disillusioned by that which charmed their fathers. fatherhood
Cynical realism is the intelligent man's best excuse for doing nothing in an intolerable situation. best
Beauty is worse than wine, it intoxicates both the holder and beholder. beauty
Thought must be divided against itself before it can come to any knowledge of itself. knowledge
So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly arise and make them miserable. men
Experience teaches only the teachable. experience
Everyone who wants to do good to the human race always ends in universal bullying. being good
Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too. being good
I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself. change