"may everything come true. and may they laugh at their own passions... for what they call passion is not really the energy of the soul but merely friction between the soul and the outside world. but, above all, may they believe in themselves and become as helpless as children for softness is great and strenght is worthless."

"when a man is born, he is soft and flexible. when he dies, he is strong and hard. when a tree grows, it is soft and flexible. but when it is dry and hard, it dies. hardness and strenght are death's companions. flexibility and softness are the embodiment of life. that which has become hard will not triumph."

"now take music... it's connected least of all with reality. of, if connected, then it's without ideas, mechanically it's merely sound without associations. nevertheless, music miraculously penetrates your very soul. what chord in us responds to its harmonies transforming it into a source of delight uniting and overwhelming us? why is all this necessary and, above all, for whom? you'll reply: 'for no one and no reason. selfishness.' no... I doubt that. for everything in the long run has meaning. a meaning and a reason."

"a book read by a thousand different people is a thousand different books."