We must know, if only in order to learn not to know. The supreme lesson of human consciousness is to learn how not to know. That is, how not to interfere.

Nobody can have the soul of me. My mother has had, and nobody can have it again. Nobody can come into my very self again, and breathe me like an atmosphere.

When the emotional soul receives a wounding shock, the soul seems to recover as the body recovers. But this is only in appearance. Slowly, slowly the wound to the soul begins to make itself felt, like a bruise, which only slowly deepens its terrible ache, till it fills all the psyche. And when we think we have recovered and forgotten, it is then that the terrible after-effects have to be encountered at their worst.

Men and women should stay apart, till their hearts grow gentle towards one another again.

I am in love and, my God, it is the greatest thing that can happen to a man.

If only we could live two lives: the first in which to make one's mistakes, and the second in which to profit by them.

Men always do leave off really thinking, when the last bit of wild animal dies in them.