Both Faith and Terror are instruments for the elimination of individual self-respect. Terror crushes the autonomy of self-respect, where Faith obtains its more or less voluntary surrender. In both cases, the result of the elimination of individual autonomy is - automatism. Both Faith and Terror reduce the human entity to a formula that can be manipulated at will.

We can remember minutely and precisely only the things which never really happened to us.

Ideas have significance for him only as a prelude to action.

Up to now, America has not been a good milieu for the rise of a mass movement. What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation.

Without a sense of proportion there can be neither good taste nor genuine intelligence, nor perhaps moral integrity.

Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear. Thus a feeling of utter unworthiness can be a source of courage.

There is probably nothing more sublime than discontent transmuted into a work of art, a scientific discovery, and so on.