Great Throughts Treasury

"[Heaven is] that moment in which something attains its maximum depth, its maximum reach, its maximum sense, and becomes completely uninteresting."

"Time is born in the eyes, everybody knows that."

"Human history is the sad result of each one looking out for himself."

"In quoting others, we cite ourselves."

"All profound distraction opens certain doors. You have to allow yourself to be distracted when you are unable to concentrate."

"Happy was she who could believe without seeing, who was at one with the duration and continuity of life."

"And do you accept the idea that there is no explanation?"

"[Memory is] A strange echo, which stores its replicas according to some other acoustic than consciousness or expectation. "

"Memory weaves and traps us at the same time according to a scheme in which we do not participate: we should never speak of our memory, for it is anything but ours; it works on its own terms, it assists us while deceiving us or perhaps deceives up to assist us."

"Memory is a mirror that scandalously lies."

"Why have we had to invent Eden, to live submerged in the nostalgia of a lost paradise, to make up utopias, propose a future for ourselves?"