To understand one's world, one must sometimes turn away from it! To serve better, one must briefly hold it at a distance. Where can the necessary solitude be found, the long breathing space in which mind gathers its strength and takes stock of its courage.

Should I kill myself, or have a cup of coffee?

After awhile you could get used to anything.

So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned man had to hope the machine would work the first time.

If the world were clear, art would not exist.

I cling like a miser to the freedom that disappears as soon as there is an excess of things.

Whoever gives nothing, has nothing. The greatest misfortune is not to be unloved, but not to love.