The difficult task of knowing another soul is not for young gentlemen whose consciousness is chiefly made up of their own wishes.

Jews are not fit for Heaven, but on earth they are most useful.

The sense of an entailed disadvantage - the deformed foot doubtfully hidden by the shoe, makes a restlessly active spiritual yeast, and easily turns a self-centered, unloving nature into an Ishmaelite.

If you had a table spread for a feast, and was making merry with your friends, you would think it was kind to let me come and sit down and rejoice with you, because you'd think I should to share those good things; but I should better to share in your trouble and your labour.

I care only to know, if possible, the lasting meaning that lies in all religious doctrine from the beginning till now.

It had already occurred to him that books were stuff, and that life was stupid.

Can anything be more disgusting than to hear people called 'educated' making small jokes about eating ham, and showing themselves empty of any real knowledge as to the relation of their own social and religious life to the history of the people they think themselves witty in insulting? [...] The best thing that can be said of it is, that it is a sign of the intellectual narrowness—in plain English, the stupidity which is still the average mark of our culture.