But questions that don’t answer themselves at the very moment of their asking are never answered.

One can disintegrate the world by means of very strong light. For weak eyes the world becomes solid, for still weaker eyes it seems to develop fists, for eyes weaker still it becomes shamefaced and smashes anyone who dares to gaze upon it.

So then you’re free?’ ‘Yes, I’m free,’ said Karl, and nothing seemed more worthless than his freedom.

The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired. Only after death, only in solitude, does a man’s true nature emerge. In death, as on the chimney sweep’s Saturday night, the soot gets washed from his body.

The spirit becomes free only when it ceases to be a support.

As far as I have seen, at school...they aimed at blotting out one's individuality.

The door could not be heard slamming; they had probably left it open, as is the custom in homes where a great misfortune has occurred.