"

In the contexts of religion and politics, words are not regarded as standing, rather inadequately, for things and events; on the contrary, things and ...more

"

Even the best cookery book is no substitute for even the worst dinner.

"

Thanks to words we have been able to rise above the brutes and thanks to words we have often sunk to the level of the demons.

"

Words, words, words! They shut one off from the universe. Three quarters of the time one’s never in contact with things, only with the beastly words t...more

"

A fanatic is a man who consciously over-compensates a secret doubt.

"

There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and that's your own self.

"

Every individual is at once the beneficiary and the victim of the linguistic tradition into which he has been born.

"

For in spite of language, in spite of intelligence and intuition and sympathy, one can never really communicate anything to anybody.

"

You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. . . . Dogs do not ritually urinate in the hope of p...more

"

You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. . . . Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. ...more

"

We float in language like icebergs – four-fifths under the surface and only one-fifth of us projecting into the open air of immediate, non-linguistic ...more

"

The Savage interrupted him. "But isn't it natural to feel there's a God?" "You might as well ask if it's natural to do up one's trousers with zippers,...more

"

There was something called Christianity.

"

Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.

"

The strange words rolled through his mind; rumbled, like talking thunder; like the drums at the summer dances, if the drums could have spoken; like th...more