It is impossible to found a civilization on fear and hatred and cruelty. It would never endure.' 'Why not?' 'It would have no vitality. It would disintegrate. It would commit suicide.

One can love a child, perhaps, more deeply than one can love another adult, but it is rash to assume that the child feels any love in return.

If human equality is to be forever averted -- if the High, as we have called them, are to keep their places permanently -- then the prevailing mental condition must be controlled insanity.

... ages in which the dominant weapon is expensive or difficult to make will tend to be ages of despotism, whereas when the dominant weapon is cheap and simple, the common people have a chance... A complex weapon makes the strong stronger, while a simple weapon -- so long as there is no answer to it -- gives claws to the weak.

In the face of pain there are no heroes.

The past is whatever the records and the memories agree upon.

The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.