The abdomen is the reason why man does not readily take himself to be a god.

What good is all this free-thinking, modernity, and turncoat flexibility if at some gut level you are still a Christian, a Catholic, and even a priest!

Robinson had a servant even better than Friday: His name was Crusoe.

It takes physical courage to indulge in wickedness. The "good" are too cowardly to do it.

Remain faithful to the earth, my brothers, with the power of your virtue. Let your gift-giving love and your knowledge serve the meaning of the earth. Thus I beg and beseech you. Do not let them fly away from earthly things and beat with their wings against eternal walls. Alas, there has always been so much virtue that has flown away. Lead back to the earth the virtue that flew away, as I do—back to the body, back to life, that it may give the earth a meaning, a human meaning.

Let thy virtue be too high for the familiarity of names, and if thou must speak of it, be not ashamed to stammer about it.

you must be ready to burn yourself in your own flame; how could you rise anew if you have not first become ashes?