Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.

Each nationality contains its centre of happiness within itself, as a bullet the centre of gravity.

To think what is true, to sense what is beautiful and to want what is good, hereby the spirit finds purpose of a life in reason.

A poet is the creator of the nation around him, he gives them a world to see and has their souls in his hand to lead them to that world.

Those that embrace the entire universe with love, for the most part love nothing, but their narrow selves.

We live in a world we ourselves create.

Touch not the flute when drums are sounding around; when fools have the word, the wise will be silent.

What destiny sends, bear! Whoever perseveres will be crowned.

Brave is the lion tamer, brave is the world subduer, but braver is the one who has subdued himself.

All our science calculates with abstracted individual external marks, which do not touch the inner existence of any single thing

What of us lies in the hearts of others is our truest and deepest self.

While science can be many things, above all it is a way for our mistake-making, illusion-prone, storytelling brains to compare different methods for describing nature.

If someone feels that he has never made a mistake in his life, it only means that he has never tried anything new in his life.

History is a constant race between invention and catastrophe.

How do I relax? This might sound slightly ridiculous but I play the ukulele for at least an hour a day and I find something really blissful about it.

How many people become abstract as a way of appearing profound.

I guess I'm trying to write stuff that I, as a viewer, would connect to.

A man's bewilderment is the measure of his wisdom.

A prude is a person who thinks that his own rules of propriety are natural laws.

I find the subject of childhood fascinating. I explored this subject in Speak to me of love and I am curious about portraying the often painful transition into the adult world.

When fresh sorrows have caused us to take some steps in the right way, we may not complain. We have invested in a life annuity, but the income remains.