What arouses the indignation of the honest satirist is not, unless the man is a prig, the fact that people in positions of power or influence behave idiotically, or even that they behave wickedly. It is that they conspire successfully to impose upon the public a picture of themselves as so very sagacious, honest and well-intentioned.

Never resist a sentence you like, in which language takes its own pleasure and in which, after having abused it for so long, you are stupefied by its innocence.

Jean Baudrillard, Cool Memories,

In my wildest imagination, I never thought that the fifth of six children born to Helen and Buddy Watts - in a poor black neighborhood, in the poor rural community of Eufaula, Oklahoma - would someday be called Congressman.

J. C. Watts

Another kind of love and compassion is not based on something appearing beautiful or nice, but based on the fact that the other person, just like oneself, wants happiness and does not want suffering and indeed has every right to be happy and to overcome suffering. On such a basis, we feel a sense of responsibility, a sense of closeness toward that being. That is true compassion. This is because the compassion is based on reason, notjust on emotional feeling. As a consequence, it does not matter what the other's attitude is, whether negative, or positive. What matters is that it is a human being, a sentient being that has the experience of pain and pleasure. There is no reason not to feel compassion so long as it is a sentient being.

Dalai Lama, The Dalai Lama, A Po

I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don't even get printed.

Bob Uecker

Einstein's results again turned the tables and now very few philosophers or scientists still think that scientific knowledge is, or can be, proven knowledge.

Imre Lakatos

Funny how just when you think life can't possibly get any worse it suddenly does.

Douglas Noel Adams

Racism cannot be cured solely by attacking some of the results it produces, like discrimination in housing or in education.

Sargent Shriver

I think I am one of those who can manage not to take on a completely different appearance under their own glance.

Jean Rostand

I'm happy to report that 'The New Press' is still in business to this day. But not thanks to me. I was a really bad publishing intern.

Lev Grossman

The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless.

Robert G. Ingersoll

Heads will fly all over the place, others will explode by themselves, everyone will have their chance to betray, and those who don't betray will be betrayed.

Sandro Veronesi

Make space in your life for the things that matter, for family and friends, love and generosity, fun and joy. Without this, you will burn out in mid-career and wonder where your life went.

Jonathan Sacks