Only the shallow know themselves

Life is a wonderful thing to talk about, or to read about in history books -- but it is terrible when one has to live it.

Talent is like a faucet; while it is open, you have to write. Inspiration? -- a hoax fabricated by poets for their self-importance.

Life is very nice, but it lacks form. It's the aim of art to give it some.

To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It's easy to say no, even if it means dying.

Propaganda is a soft weapon; hold it in your hands too long, and it will move about like a snake, and strike the other way.

Beauty is one of the rare things that do not lead to doubt of God.

Listen, my friend, there are two races of beings. The masses teeming and happy--common clay, if you like--eating, breeding, working, counting their pennies; people who just live; ordinary people; people you can't imagine dead. And then there are the others--the noble ones, the heroes. The ones you can quite well imagine lying shot, pale and tragic; one minute triumphant with a guard of honor, and the next being marched away between two gendarmes.

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

All great truths begin as blasphemies.

Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.

England and America are two countries separated by the same language.

He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.

I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.

If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.

Lack of money is the root of all evil.

Nothing is ever accomplished by a reasonable man.

Effective action is always unjust.

The fickleness of the women I love is only equalled by the infernal constancy of the women who love me.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

We have not lost faith, but we have transferred it from God to the medical profession.