There is no explanation for evil. It must be looked upon as a necessary part of the order of the universe. To ignore it is childish, to bewail it senseless.

Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it.

We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.

If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom; and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too.

The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.

The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.

It is dangerous to let the public behind the scenes. They are easily disillusioned and then they are angry with you, for it was the illusion they loved.

The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.

Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.

Jesus loved crème brûlée, but even with crème brûlée enough isn't just enough, it can get to be too much.

Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made.

Each artwork requires its own design

For people whose job it is to make sure we make money, there's a lot of pressure.

The life of great geniuses is nothing but a sublime storm.

When someone asks you, 'What's punk?' my reply is, 'If you have to ask, you're never going to know.'

Never, ever point out that a woman is eating too much.

The truth is, I've been the Hulk my whole life.

I'm not anorexic, bullimic, or any other “ic” you can think of.

Can that which has cost the artist days, weeks, months and even years of reflection be understood in a flash by a dilettante?