“Before I write down one word, I have to have the character in my mind through and through. I must penetrate into the last wrinkle of his soul.”

This is life! It can harden and it can exalt!

And what if I did run my ship aground; oh, still it was splendid to sail it!

The man-at-arms is the only man.

The younger generation will come knocking at my door.

It’s such sport with these heroes of finance: they are like beads on a string – when one slips off, all the rest follow.

To crave for happiness in this world is simply to be possessed by a spirit of revolt. What right have we to happiness?

The starving poet business is no good nowadays.

In great memories there lies the seed of growth.

The greatest victory is defeat.

The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That’s one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population — the intelligent ones or the fools?

Money brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintances, but not friends.

To die in agony upon a cross Does not create a martyr; he must first Will his own execution.

I’m plotting revolution against this lie that the majority has a monopoly of the truth. What are these truths that always bring the majority rallying round? Truths so elderly they are practically senile. And when a truth is as old as that, gentlemen, you can hardly tell it from a lie.

The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.

I go to scale the Future’s possibilities! Farewell!

That is the accursed thing about small surroundings — they make the soul small.

Sit in meditation ! But do not think ! Look only at your mind ! You will see thoughts coming into it ! Before they can enter, throw these away from your mind till your mind is capable of entire silence.

When we turn the mind inwards, God manifests as the inner consciousness.

Great men stamp their mind upon their age and nation.

This perception of division between the seer and the object that is seen, is situated in the mind. For those remaining in the heart, the seer becomes one with the sight.

You could say that tidying orders the mind while cleaning purifies it.

While doing work if the mind continues to be active let it be so, but there must be at the same time a capacity for silence.

When one makes the mind stick to one thought, the mind becomes rock-steady and the energy is conserved.

If one’s mind has peace, the whole world will appear peaceful.