“The identity that we ascribe to things is only a fictitious one, established by the mind, not a peculiar nature belonging to what we’re talking about.”

It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.

Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.

But the life of a man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.

To be a philosophical Sceptic is the first and most essential step towards being a sound, believing Christian.

The truth springs from arguments amongst friends.

When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities.

Any pride or haughtiness, is displeasing to us, merely because it shocks our own pride, and leads us by sympathy into comparison, which causes the disagreeable passion of humility.

How can we satisfy ourselves without going on in infinitum? And, after all, what satisfaction is there in that infinite progression?

What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call ‘thought’

It is an absurdity to believe that the Deity has human passions, and one of the lowest of human passions, a restless appetite for applause

Tis not unreasonable for me to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.

The bigotry of theologians is a malady which seems almost incurable.

I weigh the one miracle against the other and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision.

The science of man is the only solid foundation for the other sciences.

Carelessness and in-attention alone can afford us any remedy. For this reason I rely entirely upon them.

But the greatest part of mankind float between vice and virtue.

Stranger than fiction is the fiction that you are a stranger to me.

I live mostly within my own mind and what scares me is not knowing what is fact or fiction inside of it.

If what we are doing is not seen by some people as science fiction, it’s probably not transformative enough.

People have to start realizing that money is just a fiction, an idea.

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.

Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.

I didn’t lie! I just created fiction with my mouth!

The day I was born songs were on records, phones were tied down, computers needed rooms and the web was fiction. Change the world. You can.