The creation by word-power of something out of nothing--what is that but magic? And, may I add, what is that but literature?

The sum of evil, Pascal remarked, would be much diminished if men could only learn to sit quietly in their rooms.

... the greater part of the population is not very intelligent, dreads responsibility, and desires nothing better than to be told what to do. Provided the rulers do not interfere with its material comforts and its cherished beliefs, it is perfectly happy to let itself be ruled.

Man is unique in organizing the mass murder of his own species.

The more a man knows about himself in relation to every kind of experience, the greater his chance of suddenly, one fine morning, realizing who in fact he is.

When people are suspicious with you, you start being suspicious with them.

Round pegs in square holes tend to have dangerous thoughts about the social system and tend to infect others with their discontents.