Falling in love is like religious conversion. It goes on for a long time below the threshold before it reaches consciousness.

Civilization is a fiction which becomes a fact only as long as everyone can believe in it. It is the cynic, rather than the rebel, who pulls down the whole flimsy structure periodically throughout history.

most of our social and educational institutions are designed to weed out or make over people ... until we produce a world where everyone is a smart, quick-witted, aggressive person living on the surface of the mind without ever looking into the depths.

A critic is a person who rationalizes his likes and dislikes in such impressive language that the layman thinks he is reasoning instead of rationalizing.

the old ploy of the powerful: never refuse when you can confuse. Distraction and delay are always better than obstruction.

Diamonds are the tears of the poor.

Privacy is like sleep - something you don't appreciate until you have to go without it.