“The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.”

“For many years I've been ashamed, mortally ashamed, of having been, even with the best intentions, even at many removes, a murderer in my turn. As time went on I merely learned that even those who were better than the rest could not keep themselves nowadays from killing or letting others kill, because such is the logic by which they live; and that we can't stir a finger in this world without the risk of bringing death to somebody.”

“Humans are creatures, who spent their lifes trying to convince themselves, that their existence is not absurd”

“But too many people now climb onto the cross merely to be seen from a greater distance, even if they have to trample somewhat on the one who has been there so long.”

“People, who suffer from sadness and suddenly become happy, betray themselves: they stick to happiness, as if to hug, and strangle it out of jealousy.”

“we rarely confide in those who are better than we. Rather, we are more inclined to flee their society. Most often, on the other hand, we confess to those who are like us and who share our weaknesses. Hence we don't want to improve ourselves and be bettered, for we should first have to be judged in default. We merely wish to be pitied and encouraged in the course we have chosen. In short, we should like, at the same time, to cease being guilty and yet not to make the effort of cleansing ourselves.”

“Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it.”