He who has loved and who betrays love does harm not only to the image of the past, but to the past itself.

There is no right life in the wrong one.

The objective tendency of the Enlightenment, to wipe out the power of images over man, is not matched by any subjective progress on the part of enlightened thinking towards freedom from images.

He who has laughter on his side has no need of proof.

The idea that after this war life will continue 'normally' or even that culture might be 'rebuilt' - as if the rebuilding of culture were not already its negation - is idiotic.

None of the abstract concepts comes closer to fulfilled utopia than that of eternal peace.

The culture industry not so much adapts to the reactions of its customers as it counterfeits them.