There is a guilty conscience behind every brazen word and act and behind every manifestation of self-righteousness.

Every extreme attitude is a fight from the self.

Craving, not having, is the mother of a reckless giving of oneself.

First something is a great idea, then it becomes a cause, then it becomes a business and finally it becomes a racket.

In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes- courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, and so on - can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us. Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion, even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.

Man's chief goal in life is still to become and stay human, and defend his achievements against the encroachment of nature.

No matter what our achievements might be, we think well of ourselves only in rare moments. We need people to bear witness against our inner judge, who keeps book on our shortcomings and transgressions. We need people to convince us that we are not as bad as we think we are.