“The art of music is good, for the reason, among others, that it produces pleasure; but what proof is it possible to give that pleasure is good? If, then, it is asserted that there is a comprehensive formula, including all things which are in themselves good, and that whatever else is good, is not so as an end, but as a mean, the formula may be accepted or rejected, but is not a subject of what is commonly understood by proof.”

“...the special quality of works of Art being to produce the momentary conviction that anything else whatever could not possibly be so good.”

“I don't know. A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof, and when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven.”

“It is to be remembered that all art is magical in origin - music,sculpture, writing, painting - and by magical I mean intended toproduce very definite results. Paintings were originally formulaeto make what is painted happen. Art is not an end in itself, anymore than Einstein's matter-into-energy formulae is an end in itself.Like all formulae, art was originally FUNCTIONAL, intended to makethings happen, the way an atom bomb happens from Einstein's formulae.”

“The art of living has no history: it does not evolve: the pleasure which vanishes vanishes for good, there is no substitute for it. Other pleasures come, which replace nothing. No progress in pleasures, nothing but mutations.”

“The mind loves whatever repeats a pleasurable experience from the past. "I love this" basically means "I love repeating what felt so good before".”