The wisdom of others remains dull till it is writ over with our own blood. We are essentially apart from the world; it bursts into our consciousness only when it sinks its teeth and nails into us.

Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.

The superficiality of many is a result of deep fears. It takes spare time to think things out; it takes free time to mature. People in a hurry may not think well or mature well. The next best is a state of perpetual puerility.

The nature of a society is largely determined by the direction in which talent and ambition flow - by the tilt of the social landscape.

Vehemence is the expression of a blind effort to support and uphold something that can never stand on its own. Whether it is our own meaningless self we are upholding, or some doctrine devoid of evidence, we can do it only in a frenzy of faith.

Wise living consists perhaps less in acquiring good habits than in acquiring as few habits as possible.

When we believe ourselves in possession of the only truth, we are likely to be indifferent to common everyday truths.