When success happens to an English writer, he acquires a new typewriter. When success happens to an American writer, he acquires a new life.

When I talk about the pleasure principle, I don't say there is only one kind of pleasure, there are many kinds of pleasure. Some pleasure is difficult. It should be for the reader as well as the writer. But it has to be pleasure.

Belief is otiose; reality is sufficiently awesome as it stands.

The satirist isn't just looking at things ironically but militantly - he wants to change them, and intends to have an effect on the world.

It's a young country and a German only feels comfortable being with the masses. They have very little talent at creating an inner life, privacy. And I think there must be something wrong.

Tremendous interest in the superficial is very characteristic of cultures in decline.

When I see a lot of young faces in the audience, it's just sort of sinking in how important that is. Because you're old enough now to identify them very strongly as being young - whereas before, of course they were young, because you were young. Now it's not like that.