Quotes by Simone Weil

“Two prisoners whose cells adjoin communicate with each other by knocking on the wall. The wall is the thing which separates them but is also their means of communication. It is the same with us and...”

“The most important part of teaching is to teach what it is to know.”

“Humility is attentive patience.”

“Equality is the public recognition, effectively expressed in institutions and manners, of the principle that an equal degree of attention is due to the needs of all human beings.”

“Humanism was not wrong in thinking that truth, beauty, liberty, and equality are of infinite value, but in thinking that man can get them for himself without grace.”

“The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.”

“The role of the intelligence - that part of us which affirms and denies and formulates opinions is merely to submit.”

“Whatever debases the intelligence degrades the entire human being.”

“Imagination is always the fabric of social life and the dynamic of history. The influence of real needs and compulsions, of real interests and materials, is indirect because the crowd is never cons...”

“It is an eternal obligation toward the human being not to let him suffer from hunger when one has a chance of coming to his assistance.”

“Every perfect life is a parable invented by God.”

“It is only the impossible that is possible for God. He has given over the possible to the mechanics of matter and the autonomy of his creatures.”

“Evil being the root of mystery, pain is the root of knowledge.”

“As soon as men know that they can kill without fear of punishment or blame, they kill; or at least they encourage killers with approving smiles.”

“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions reality can be attained only by someone who is detached. ”

“Imagination and fiction make up more than three quarters of our real life.”

“Beauty always promises, but never gives anything.”

“To want friendship is a great fault. Friendship ought to be a gratuitous joy, like the joys afforded by art or life.”

“I can, therefore I am.”

“There is one, and only one, thing in modern society more hideous than crime namely, repressive justice.”