I swear to you, sirs, that excessive consciousness is a disease--a genuine, absolute disease.

When . . . in the course of all these thousands of years has man ever acted in accordance with his own interests?

Power is given only to him who dares to stoop and take it ... one must have the courage to dare.

What does reason know? Reason only knows what it has succeeded in learning.

Brother, I’m not depressed and haven’t lost spirit. Life everywhere is life, life is in ourselves and not in the external. There will be people near me, and to be a human being among human beings, and remain one forever, no matter what misfortunes befall, not to become depressed, and not to falter – this is what life is, herein lies its task.

I believe the best definition of man is the ungrateful biped.

He who desires to see the living God face-to-face should not seek him in the empty, firmament of his mind, but in human love.