The savage bows down to idols of wood and stone: the civilized man to idols of flesh and blood.

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  The man who listens to Reason is lost: Reason enslaves all whose minds are not strong enough to master her.

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  The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

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  Never resist temptation: prove all things: hold fast that which is good.

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  Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.

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  He who slays a king and he who dies for him are alike idolaters.

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  The bureaucracy consists of functionaries; the aristocracy, of idols; the democracy, of idolaters.

All aphorisms