Every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. His ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent.

The creative writer does the same as the child at play; he creates a world of fantasy which he takes very seriously.

public self is a conditioned construct of the inner psychological self.

This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever.

A strong egoism is a protection against disease, but in the last resort we must begin to love in order that we may not fall ill, and must fall ill if, in consequence of frustration, we cannot love.

Whatever fosters the growth of civilization works at the same time against war.

One... gets an impression that civilization is something which was imposed on a resisting majority by a minority which understood how to obtain possession of the means to power and coercion. It is, of course, natural to assume that these difficulties are not inherent in the nature of civilization itself but are determined by the imperfections of the cultural forms which have so far been developed.