There is only one prospect worse than being chained to an intolerable existence: The nightmare of a botched attempt to end it.

Faith is a wondrous thing; it is not only capable of moving mountains, but also of making you believe that a herring is a race horse.

Creativity is the defeat of habit by originality.

Einstein's space is no closer to reality than Van Gogh's sky.

The inner censor of the mind of the true believer completes the work of the public censor; his self-discipline is as tyrannical as the obedience imposed by the regime; he terrorizes his own conscience into submission;he carries his private Iron Curtain inside his skull, to protect his illusions against the intrusion of reality.

No writer or teacher or artist can escape the responsibility of influencing others whether he intends to or not, whether he is conscious of it or not.

One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up.