It is not the world that is absurd, nor human thought: the absurd arises when the human need to understand meets the unreasonableness of the world, when 'my appetite for the absolute and for unity' meets 'the impossibility of reducing this world to a rational and reasonable principle.'

These are facts the heart can feel; yet they call for careful study before they become clear to the intellect.

In order to be created, a work of art must first make use of the dark forces of the soul

Truly fertile Music, the only kind that will move us, that we shall truly appreciate, will be a Music conducive to Dream, which banishes all reason and analysis. One must not wish first to understand and then to feel. Art does not tolerate Reason.

If you keep on excusing, you eventually give your blessing to the slave camp, to cowardly force, to organized executioners, to the cynicism of great political monsters; you finally hand over your brothers.

On my way out I was even going to shake his hand, but I remembered just in time that I'd killed a man.

My life was lucky so that I met, I loved (and disappointed) only outstanding people.