A poor degenerate from the ape, Whose hands are four, whose tail's a limb, I contemplate my flaccid shape And know I may not rival him Save with my mind.

One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them. Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons-that's philosophy. People believe in God because they've been conditioned to believe in God.

Like every man of sense and good feeling, I abominate work.

Given a fair chance, human beings can govern themselves, and govern themselves better

Since Mozart's day composers have learned the art of making music throatily and palpitatingly sexual.

The present moment is the only aperture through which the soul can pass out of time into eternity, through which grace can pass out of eternity into the soul, and through which love can pass from one soul in time to another soul in time.

There is something curiously boring about somebody else's happiness.