The most horrible thing is not a government that stages public executions, but a government that secretly disposes of its victims.

I naturally believe there will be a future, but I do not waste my time imagining its radiant beauty. ... It seems to me that we ought to think first about the present. Even if the present is desperately dark, I do not wish to leave it. Will tomorrow be free from darkness? We'll talk about that tomorrow.

I entreat fresh visions from the painters. Be lavish with your vermilion to portray the mountains in the spring.

The ability to forget the past enables people to free themselves gradually from the pain they once suffered; but it also often makes them repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.

Though science has given us many marvels, it has also spoiled many of our pleasant dreams.

If we want to work out a policy for the present, we must examine the past and prepare for the future, discard the material and elevate the spirit, rely on the individual and exclude the mass.

Discontent is the wheel that moves people forward.