Bertrand Russell

The universe may have a purpose, but nothing we know suggests that, if so, this purpose has any similarity to ours. ”

Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. ”

Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires. ”

Many a man will have the courage to die gallantly, but will not have the courage to say, or even to think, that the cause for which he is asked to die is an unworthy one. ”

The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. ”

In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. ”

Aristotle could have avoided the mistake of thinking that women have fewer teeth than men, by the simple device of asking Mrs. Aristotle to keep her mouth open while he counted. ”

I've made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite. ”

The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile. ”

The man who can centre his thoughts and hopes upon something transcending self can find a certain peace in the ordinary troubles of life, which is impossible to the pure egoist. ”