A person either creates or destroys. There is no neutrality.

Humankind struggles with collective powers for its freedom, the individual struggles with dehumanization for the possession of his soul.

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.

Associate with the noblest people you can find; read the best books; live with the mighty; but learn to be happy alone.

I am a phoenix who runs after arsonists.

You can spend the entire second half of your life recovering from the mistakes of the first half.

Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.

A man is only as good as what he loves.

When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.

Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps.

Those who understand the true nature of humanity are always loners

...do you have someone you can stay with? Hell, stay with your mother. The Pentagon doesn’t have the security system she’s g

There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time and all things in succession. That which grows slowly endures.

The great sins and fires break out of me like the terrible leaves from the bough in the violent spring. I am a walking fire, I am all leaves.

There are ways in which art can have a longer reach than politics.

I still haven't quite caught on to the idea of writing without dialogue. I like writing dialogue, and there's nothing wrong with dialogue in movies.

I know that some people work differently, but I have to work from the inside out. It doesn't matter how big the character is, there has to be a truthful core.

I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race - that rarely do I ever simply estimate it.

A name, it has more than nominal worth, And belongs to good or bad luck at birth

When I'm old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say 'wow, that was an adventure,' not 'wow, I sure felt safe.'