I sit down religiously every morning, I sit down for eight hours every day - and the sitting down is all.

It occurred to me that my speech or my silence, indeed any action of mine, would be a mere futility.

The interior deprives men of their senses. Here, the eerie stillness of the wilderness and the darkness of night render the men both deaf and blind. Without eyes or ears, they have no frame of reference-and without a frame of reference, they have no clear identities.

It is when we try to grapple with another man's intimate need that we perceive how incomprehensible, wavering, and misty are the beings that share with us the sight of the stars and the warmth of the sun.

When one has got to make correct entries, one comes to hate those savages--hate them to the death.

Ah! These commercial interests -- spoiling the finest life under the sun. Why must the sea be used for trade -- and for war as well?...It would have been so much nicer just to sail about, with here and there a port and a bit of land to stretch one's legs on, buy a few books and get a change of cooking for a while.

The revolutionary spirit is mighty convenient in this, that it frees one from all scruples as regards ideas.