It is a peculiarity of the American mind that it regards any excursion into the truth as an adventure into cynicism.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

Morality is doing what is right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.

Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses.

There is more than one kind of freedom, " said Aunt Lydia. "Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.

From the Buddhist perspective, the only lasting way to bring about change is for people themselves to change.

I repeat, whether we be Italians or Frenchmen, misery concerns us all.

gossip ... is only fiction produced by non-professionals.

When we really worship anything, we love not only its clearness but its obscurity. We exult in its very invisibility.

The only reason the House hasn't done even more damage is that the Senate often sands down the most noxious ideas, making the bills merely bad, not disastrous.

There's nothing you need to do, be, have, get, change, practice, or learn in order to be happy, loving and whole.

The purpose of a writer is to be read, and the criticism which would destroy the power of pleasing must be blown aside

I love Robert Fripp. You know what I really appreciate about Robert Fripp? He always dresses appropriately for the occasion. When he's on stage, he's a Dapper Dan.

Overcoming naive impressions to figure out how things really work is one of humanity's highest callings.