black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

The mind of man is capable of anything.

Joseph Conrad

The scrupulous and the just, the noble, humane, and devoted natures; the unselfish and the intelligent may begin a movement – but it passes away from them. They are not the leaders of a revolution. They are its victims.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Devotion Human Leadership Nature Noble Revolution Selfish Victim
It’s extraordinary how we go through life with eyes half shut, with dull ears, with dormant thoughts. Perhaps it’s just as well; and it may be that it is this very dullness that makes life to the incalculable majority so supportable and so welcome.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Extraordinary Eyes Life Support Thinking
The discovery of America was the occasion of the greatest outburst of cruelty and reckless greed known in history.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Cruelty Discover Greatness Greedy History Occasion
You know I hate, detest, and can’t bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appals me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies – which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world – what I want to forget.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Death Forget Hate Mortal Myself Simplicity World
The ethical view of the universe involves us in so many cruel and absurd contradictions that I have come to suspect that the aim of creation cannot be ethical at all.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Creation Cruelty Ethics Mad Universe View
The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Alone Belief Evil Man Necessary Quite Source Wickedness
The sea has never been friendly to man. At most it has been the accomplice of human restlessness.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Friendship Human Man Nature Support
But it is like a running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker – may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling!
JOSEPH CONRAD

Earth Light Live Old Run
As a general rule, a reputation is built on manner as much as on achievement.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Achievement Build Rule
It is my belief no man ever understands quite his own artful dodges to escape from the grim shadow of self knowledge.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Art Belief Escape Knowledge Man Quite Shadow Understand
Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art as of life.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Art Imagination Invention Life Master
Going home must be like going to render an account.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Account Home Journey
It would take too long to explain the intimate alliance of contradictions in human nature which makes love itself wear at times the desperate shape of betrayal. And perhaps there is no possible explanation.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Betrayal Desperate Explanation Human Love Nature Possible Time
Few men realize that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities, are only the expression of their belief in the safety of their surroundings.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Audacity Belief Character Essence Expression Life Man Safety Surround
Everybody had to be thoroughly understood before being accepted.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Acceptance Discover Patience Right Understand
Vanity plays lurid tricks with our memory, and the truth of every passion wants some pretence to make it live.
JOSEPH CONRAD

Live Memories Passion Pretend Truth

The mind of man is capable of anything.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

The mind of man is capable of anything.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Joseph Conrad Quotes