I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.
Bertrand RussellMost human beings, though in varying degrees, desire to control, not only their own lives but also the lives of others
Bertrand RussellA man is rational in proportion as his intelligence informs and controls his desires.
Bertrand RussellThe main things which seem to me important on their own account, and not merely as means to other things, are knowledge, art, instinctive happiness, and relations of friendship or affection.
Bertrand RussellWhen there are rational grounds for an opinion, people are content to set them forth and wait for them to operate. In such cases, people do not hold their opinions with passion; they hold them calmly, and set forth their reasons quietly. The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder's lack of rational conviction.
Bertrand Russell