Men fear silence as they fear solitude because both give them a glimpse of the terror of life's nothingness.

We owe to the Middle Ages the two worst inventions of humanity - romantic love and gunpowder.

Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold.

The first recipe for happiness is: avoid too lengthy meditation on the past.

We can talk frankly about our defects only to those who recognise our qualities.

An artist must be a reactionary. He has to stand out against the tenor of the age and not go flopping along.

A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short.

A marriage without conflicts is almost as inconceivable as a nation without crises.

We appreciate frankness from those who like us. Frankness from others is called insolence.

Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.

A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.

One cloud is enough to eclipse all the sun.

Faith in faith is faith astray.

Up to a certain point every man is what he thinks he is.

I am working on three things: on being a prayerful person; on staying close to the handicapped; and on my writing. These are my constant concerns.

Goodness, generosity, or love does not come into being save through the search for reality.

To wear your heart on your sleeve isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.

It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.

My husband is almost as heavy as I am. We were married in adjoining churches.

I owe my allegiance to the working class.

It is not the genius at the top giving directions that makes people great. It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.