Read from a distant star, the majuscule script of our earthly existence would perhaps lead to the conclusion that the earth was the distinctively ascetic planet, a nook of disgruntled, arrogant creatures filled with a profound disgust with themselves, at the earth, at all life, who inflict as much pain on themselves as they possibly can out of pleasure in inflicting pain which is probably their only pleasure.

All that philosophers have handled for millennia has been conceptual mummies; nothing actual has ever escaped from their hands alive.

Every week we ought to have one hour for recieving letters, then go take a bath.

Man is more sensitive to the contempt of others than to self-contempt.

The dyed-in-the-wool teacher takes everything seriously only with respect to his students--himself included.

Today as always, men fall into two groups: slaves and free men. Whoever does not have two-thirds of his day for himself, is a slave, whatever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar.

Where there is the tree of knowledge, there is always Paradise: so say the most ancient and most modern serpents.