“I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment.”

The wise man thinks about his troubles only when there is some purpose in doing so; at other times he thinks about other things, or, if it is night, about nothing at all.

A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live.

Whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.

In all affairs, it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.

We know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power.

And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that he would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt his existence.

The secret of happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible, horrible, horrible.

No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.

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

Is there any knowledge in the world that is so certain that no reasonable man could doubt it?

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.

Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand.

It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence that could support this.

Anything you’re good at contributes to happiness.

We love our habits more than our income, often more than our life.

Sin is geographical.

I have to say that I’ve always believed perfectionism is more of a disease than a quality. I do try to go with the flow but I can’t let go.

Greatness exists in all of us.

Heaven forbid that we should believe in such a way as not to accept or seek reasons, since we could not even believe if we did not possess rational souls.

I believe there is only one race – the human race.

You’ve got to believe in the possibilities. You’ve got to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. And here’s the big one. Believe in yourself.

The major key to your better future is you.

I don’t want to believe. I want to know.

Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.