Man gives every reason for his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save one; and that one is his cowardice

If more than ten percent of the public likes a painting, it should be burned.

Absolute honesty is as absurd an abstraction as an absolute temperature or an absolute value.

If in the library of your house you do not have the works of the ancient Greek writers, then you live in a house with no light.

I'm one of the undeserving poor: that's what I am. Think of what that means to a man. It means that he's up agen middle class morality all the time.... What is middle class morality? Just an excuse for never giving me anything.

All roads end at the grave, which is the gate to nothingness.

There is no satisfaction in hanging a man who does not object to it.