872 quotes found
“We can never know more than the mind can assimilate and process, nor can we discuss any aspect of the world for which there is no language.”
“She had always thought that if only people could communicate mind-to-mind, eliminating the ambiguities of language, then understanding would be perfect and there'd be no more needless conflicts. In...”
“From the structure of language comes the explanation of why the human spirit is condemned to an odyssey - why it first finds its way to itself only on a detour via a complete externalization in oth...”
“A foolish German had said that man thought in words. It was totally false; a pernicious doctrine; the thoughts flashed into being in a hundred simultaneous forms, with a thousand associations, and ...”
“The form of observation , which underlines all speech and language development, always expresses a peculiar spiritual character , a special way of conceiving and apprehending. The difference betwee...”
“Personally I think that grammar is a way to attain beauty.”
“profanity and obscenity entitle people who don't want unpleasant information to close their ears and eyes to you.”
“If one believes that words are acts, as I do, then one must hold writers responsible for what their words do.”
“Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.”
“Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.”
“We all know that there are language forms that are considered impolite and out of order, no matter what truths these languages might be carrying. If you talk with a harsh, urbanized accent and you ...”
“The natural, proper, fitting shape of the novel might be that of a sack, a bag. A book holds words. Words hold things. They bear meanings. A novel is a medicine bundle, holding things in a particul...”
“Kreon: here are Kreon's verbs for todayAdjudicateLegislateScandalizeCapitalizehere are Kreon's nounsMenReasonTreasonDeathShip of StateMineChorus: "mine" isn't a nounKreon: it is if you capitalize it”
“Nothing is so easy as to deceive ones self when one does not lack wit and is familiar with all the niceties of language. Language is a prostitute queen who descends and rises to all roles. Disguise...”
“Every word first looks around in every direction before letting itself be written down by me.”
“A fine writer must appreciate and accept the power of language manifestly.”
“It is true that if care is taken to use only a language that it's understood by graduates in law and economics, you can easily prove that the masses have to be managed from above.”
“The business of obscuring language is a mask behind which stands the much greater business of plunder.”
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least ...”
“Romanticism is the abuse of adjectives”
