Ethics is in origin the art of recommending to others the sacrifices required for cooperation with oneself.

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.

An Honest politician will not be tolerated by a democracy unless he is very stupid ... because only a very stupid man can honestly share the prejudices of more than half the nation.

If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.

We have in fact, two kinds of morality, side by side: one which we preach, but do not practice, and another which we practice, but seldom preach.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd.

Cruel men believe in a cruel god and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly god, and they would be kindly in any case.

With thorns in the inner world there will always be roses in the outer world, in law-able compensation.

I say making movies is like eating a sandwich of shit. Sometimes you get more bread, sometimes less bread, but you always get shit." (Guardian interview 2006)

Shyness displays itself differently in me. I think it's more an awkwardness.

Art is expression, and to have high expression you must have something high to express.

We were making the future and hardly any of us troubled to think what future we were making. And here it is!

I don't think I've ever played a 'hot chick' before. I always play the quirky friend or the really angry girl.

No man can possibly improve in any company for which he has not respect enough to be under some degree of restraint.

Do not look for Jesus away from yourselves. He is not out there; He is in you. Keep your lamp burning, and you will recognize him.

Fickleness has always befriended the beautiful.

The man who, for party, forsakes righteousness, goes down; and the armed battalions of God march over him.