When a person hasn’t in him that which is higher and stronger than all external influences, it is enough for him to catch a good cold in order to lose his equilibrium and begin to see an owl in every bird, to hear a dog’s bark in every sound.
Nothing lulls and inebriates like money; when you have a lot, the world seems a better place than it actually is.
Despicable means used to achieve laudable goals render the goals themselves despicable.
I confess I seldom commune with my conscience when I write.
Even while lying, you’ll be believed if you speak with authority.
The secret of boring people lies in telling them everything.
In displaying the psychology of your characters, minute particulars are essential. God save us from vague generalizations!
When a lot of remedies are suggested for a disease, that means it can’t be cured.
My holy of holies is the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and absolute freedom – freedom from violence and falsehood, no matter how the last two manifest themselves.
A good upbringing means not that you won’t spill sauce on the tablecloth, but that you won’t notice it when someone else does.
If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.
The University brings out all abilities, including incapability.
Do you see that tree? It is dead but it still sways in the wind with the others. I think it would be like that with me. That if I died I would still be part of life in one way or another.
The more refined one is, the more unhappy.
Try to be original in your play and as clever as possible; but don’t be afraid to show yourself foolish; we must have freedom of thinking, and only he is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things.
It is a poor thing for the writer to take on that which he doesn’t understand.
Common hypocrites pass themselves off as doves; political and literary hypocrites pose as eagles. But don’t be fooled by their eagle-like appearance. These are not eagles, but rats or dogs.
Hypocrisy is a revolting, psychopathic state.
Women writers should write a lot if they want to write. Take the English women, for example. What amazing workers.
Your talent sets you apart: if you were a toad or a tarantula, even then, people would respect you, for to talent all things are forgiven.