Every man, and for stronger reasons, every artist, wants to be recognized. So do I.

What’s true of all the evils in the world is true of plague as well. It helps men to rise above themselves.

It is easy to shield the outer body from poisoned arrows, but it is impossible to shield the mind from the poisoned darts that originate within itself. Greed, anger, foolishness and the infatuations of egoism - these four poisoned darts originate within the mind and infect it with deadly poison.

... one cannot be happy in exile or in oblivion. One cannot always be a stranger. I want to return to my homeland, make all my loved ones happy. I see no further than this.

Purely historical thought is therefore nihilistic: it wholeheartedly accepts the evil of history and in this way is opposed to rebellion.

Greatness consists in trying to be great. There is no other way.

I know myself too well to believe in pure virtue.