Ideas are not thoughts; the thought respects the boundaries that the idea ignores thereby failing to realize itself.

Science and art, or by the same token, poetry and prose differ from one another like a journey and an excursion. The purpose of the journey is its goal, the purpose of an excursion is the process.

The thing that pleases is not always good and, helas, the good thing does not always please.

It is the emotions to which one objects in Germany most of all.

Let no one say that taking action is hard. Action is aided by courage, by the moment, by impulse, and the hardest thing in the world is making a decision.

You ardently strive for freedom, and I do wish you were free--but, rather than for your sake, so that government won't be.

German diligence is actually endurance.