...in the shaping of a life, chance and the ability to respond to chance are everything.

The Renaissance was a time of mercenary soldiers, ours is a time of mercenary labor.

Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil.

Unlimited opportunities can be as potent a cause of frustration as a paucity or lack of opportunities.

Far more critical than what we know or what we don't know is what we don't want to know.

Self-contempt, however vague, sharpens our eyes for the imperfections of others. We usually strive to reveal in others the blemishes we hide in ourselves.

Practically all writers and artists are aware of their destiny and see themselves as actors in a fateful drama. With me, nothing is momentous: obscure youth, glorious old age, fateful coincidences - nothing really matters. I have written a number of good sentences. I have kept free of delusions. I know I am going to die soon.