I kept thinking how marvellous it would be if I could somehow tear my heart, which felt so heavy, out of my chest.

Not one of our mortal gauges is suitable for evaluating non-existence, for making judgments about that which is not a person.

I feel more confident and more satisfied when I reflect that I have two professions and not one. Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress. When I get tired of one I spend the night with the other. Though it's disorderly it's not so dull, and besides, neither really loses anything, through my infidelity.

When performing an autopsy, even the most inveterate spiritualist would have to question where the soul is.

Write only of what is important and eternal.

I think human beings must have faith or must look for faith, otherwise our life is empty, empty. To live and not to know why the cranes fly, why children are born, why there are stars in the sky. You must know why you are alive, or else everything is nonsense, just blowing in the wind.

Love, friendship and respect do not unite people as much as common hatred for something.