The essence of man is, discontent, divine discontent; a sort of love without a beloved, the ache we feel in a member we no longer have.

Rancor is an outpouring of a feeling of inferiority.

We need to study the whole of history, not to fall back into it, but to see if we can escape from it.

The type of human being we prefer reveals the contours of our heart.

Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt.

Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.

Life is a series of collisions with the future.

I am I plus my surroundings; and if I do not preserve the latter, I do not preserve myself.

An 'unemployed' existence is a worse negation of life than death itself.

To wonder is to begin to understand.

We distinguish the excellent man from the common man by saying that the former is the one who makes great demands on himself, and the latter who makes no demands on himself.

Take care of your car in the garage, and the car will take care of you on the road.

We do things because we want it, not because they’re good for us.

When all else fails, use the pen.EMW

History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart and we repeat history until we are able to make another's pain in the heart our own.

When the water is very calm and very beautiful, it won’t take a long time that a thick head will throw a stone in it!

Fame has a lot of baggage to carry around. I wouldn't want to be like Bruce Springsteen. I don't need that much money and wouldn't want to have 20 bodyguards following me.

My sole literary ambition is to write one good novel, then retire to my hut in the desert, assume the lotus position, compose my mind and senses, and sink into meditation, contemplating my novel.

People will always write and think all sorts of things – be irritated by us, have affection for us, think we dress coolly or disastrously. It’s whatever.

Why don't we just get our population healthier so we don't need medical care?

You cannot criticize the New Testament. It criticizes you.