Die besten Zitate der Welt!

In my small way, I preserved and catalogued, and dipped into the vast ocean of learning that awaited, knowing all the time that the life of one man was insufficient for even the smallest part of the wonders that lay within. It is cruel that we are granted the desire to know, but denied the time to do so properly. We all die frustrated; it is the greatest lesson we have to learn.

Iain Pears

His idleness was his refuge, and in this he was like many others in [occupied] France in that period; laziness became political.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: politics wwii war laziness idleness occupation occupied-france

[T]he concern of man is not his future but his present, not the world but his soul. We must be just, we must strive, we must engage ourselves with the business of the world for our own sake, because through that, and through contemplation in equal measure, our soul is purified and brought closer to the divine. ... Thought and deed conjoined are crucial. ... The attempt must be made; the outcome is irrelevant. Right action is a pale material reflection of the divine, but reflection it is, nonetheless. Define your goal and exert reason to accomplish it by virtuous action; successs or failure is secondary.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: goals success future present philosophy mankind thought action failure souls deeds divinity purification

Felix had gone to live in a lotus land of his imagination. Where what is desired is dreamed of as already happened, where obstacles dissolve under the weight of desire, and where reality has vanished entirely.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: imagination dreams wishes futility desires castles-in-the-air irrationality wishful-thinking cloud-cuckoo-land irreality phantasy

[Men] prefer the foolish belief and the passions of the earth [to the enlightenment of their souls]. They believe the absurd and shrink from the truth."

"No, they do not. They are afraid, that is all. And they must remain on earth until they come to the way of leaving it."

"And how do they leave? How is the ascent made? Must one learn virtue?"

Here she laughs. "You have read too much, and learned too little. Virtue is a road, not a destination. Man cannot be virtuous. Understanding is the goal. When that is achieved, the soul can take wing.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: fear truth philosophy soul virtue mankind understanding beliefs enlightenment

Action is the activity of the rational soul, which abhors irrationality and must combat it or be corrupted by it. When it sees the irrationality of others, it must seek to correct it, and can do this either by teaching or engaging in public affairs itself, correcting through its practice. And the purpose of action is to enable philosophy to continue, for if men are reduced to the material alone, they become no more than beasts.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: reason philosophy civilization mind mankind action rationality materialism body continuance

When all this is over, people will try to blame the Germans alone, and the Germans will try to blame the Nazis alone, and the Nazis will try to blame Hitler alone. They will make him bear the sins of the world. But it's not true. You suspected what was happening, and so did I. It was already too late over a year ago. I caused a reporter to lose his job because you told me to. He was deported. The day I did that I made my little contribution to civilization, the only one that matters.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: knowledge evil willful-ignorance civilization guilt responsibility cowardice personal-responsibility genocide nazis hitler blame denunciation deportation

I have brought peace to this land, and security," he began.

"And what of your soul, when you use the cleverness of argument to cloak such acts? Do you think that the peace of a thousand cancels out the unjust death of one single person? It may be desirable, it may win you praise from those who have happily survived you and prospered from your deeds, but you have committed ignoble acts, and have been too proud to own them. I have waited patiently here, hoping that you would come to me, for if you understood, then some of your acts would be mitigated. But instead you send me this manuscript, proud, magisterial, and demonstrating only that you have understood nothing at all."

"I returned to public life on your advice, madam," he said stiffly.

"Yes; I advised it. I said if learning must die it should do so with a friend by its bedside. Not an assassin.

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: learning injustice philosophy peace evil soul virtue good values corruption killing pride doctrine vice prosperity public-office

[Pope] Clement waved his hands in irritation as if to dismiss the very idea. "The world is crumbling into ruin. Armies are marching. Men and women are dying everywhere, in huge numbers. Fields are abandoned and towns deserted. The wrath of the Lord is upon us and He may be intending to destroy the whole of creation. People are without leaders and direction. They want to be given a reason for this, so they can be reassured, so they will return to their prayers and their obiediences. All this is going on, and you are concerned about the safety of two Jews?

Iain Pears

Stichwörter: civilization mankind punishment panic decay genocide chaos ruin plague jews pope scapegoats victims end-of-the-world turmoil papal-authority god-s-wrath victimization