“An intellectual may be defined as a man who speaks with general authority about a subject on which he has no particular competence.”

“A neoconservative is a liberal who's been mugged by reality. A neoliberal is a liberal who's been mugged by reality but has refused to press charges.”

“If you believe that no one was ever corrupted by a book, you have also to believe that no one was ever improved by a book.”

“Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity.”

“The only happy author in this world is he who is below the care of reputation.”

“A man who has not suffered has nothing to tell with his paintings.”

“For people who are depressed, and especially for those who do not receive enough benefit from medication of for whom the side effects of antidepressants are troubling, the fact that placebos can duplicate much of the effects of antidepressants should be taken as good news. It means that there are other ways of alleviating depression. As we have seen, treatments like psychotherapy and physical exercise are at least as effective as antidepressant drugs and more effective than placebos. In particular, CBT has been shown to lower the risk of relapsing into depression for years after treatment has ended, making it particularly cost effective.”