“Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.”

All morons hate it when you call them a moron.

People are always ruining things for you.

People are mostly hot to have a discussion when you’re not.

The true poet has no choice of material. The material plainly chooses him, not he it.

There are nice things in the world – and I mean nice things. We’re all such morons to get so sidetracked.

Sometimes you get tired of riding in taxicabs the same way you get tired riding in elevators. All of a sudden, you have to walk, no matter how far or how high up.

I have so much I want to tell you, and nowhere to begin.

You don’t have to think too hard when you talk to teachers.

I have scars on my hands from touching certain people.

I mean how do you know what you’re going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don’t. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it’s a stupid question.

I can be quite sarcastic when I’m in the mood.

Did you ever get fed up?’ I said. ‘I mean did you ever get scared that everything was going to go lousy unless you did something?

Sleep tight, ya morons!

She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.

The worst thing that being an artist could do to you would be that it would make you slightly unhappy constantly.

Don’t hate me because I can’t remember some person immediately. Especially when they look like everybody else, and talk and dress and act like everybody else.

To express oneself badly is not only faulty as far as the language goes, but does some harm to the soul.

Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.

Purity or impurity depends on oneself, No one can purify another.

To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know.

When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.

To live is to express oneself freely.

What is the seal of liberation? Not to be ashamed in front of oneself.

Individualization does not shut one out from the world, but gathers the world to oneself.