“One mustn't dream of one's future; one must earn it.”

“Who are the lunatics? The ones who see horror in the heart of their fellow humans and search for peace at any price? Or the ones who pretend they don't see what's going on around them? The world belongs either to lunatics or hypocrites. There are no other races on this earth. You must choose which one to belong to.”

“Every work of art is aggressive, Isabella. And every artist's life is a small war or a large one, beginning with oneself and one's limitations. To achieve anything you must first have ambition and then talent, knowledge, and finally the opportunity.”

“A man must have vices, expensive ones if possible. Otherwise when he reaches old age he will have nothing to be redeemed from.”

“One is never wholly conscious of the greed hidden in one's heart until one hears the sweet sound of silver.”

“Normally, the more talent one has, the more one doubts it. And vice versa.”

“Sometimes what matters isn't what one gives but what one gives up.”