The true artist doesn't substitute immorality for morality. On the contrary, he always substitutes a finer morality for a grosser one.

Naught is possessed, neither gold, nor land nor love, nor life, nor peace, nor even sorrow nor death, nor yet salvation. Say of nothing: It is mine. Say only: It is with me.

The only history is a mere question of one's struggle inside oneself. But that is the joy of it. One need neither discover Americas nor conquer nations, and yet one has as great a work as Columbus or Alexander, to do.

I hold that the parentheses are by far the most important parts of a non-business letter.

But having more freedom she only became more profoundly aware of the big want. She wanted so many things. She wanted to read great, beautiful books, and be rich with them; she wanted to see beautiful things, and have the joy of them for ever; she wanted to know big, free people; and there remained always the want she could put no name to? It was so difficult. There were so many things, so much to meet and surpass. And one never knew where one was going.

A man must keep his earnestness nimble, to escape ridicule.

And this is the final meaning of work: the extension of human consciousness. The lesser meaning of work is the achieving of self-preservation.