Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius. The Valley of Fear

The creation of freedom for oneself and a sacred "No" even to duty -- for that, my brothers, the lion is needed. Thus Spoke Zarathustra

The only way a woman can ever reform a man is by boring him so completely that he loses all possible interest in life. The Picture of Dorian Gray

Real art, like the wife of an affectionate husband, needs no ornaments. But counterfeit art, like a prostitute, must always be decked out. The cause of production of real art is the artist's inner need to express a feeling that has accumulated, just as for a mother the cause of sexual conception is love. The cause of counterfeit art, as of prostitution, is gain. The consequence of true art is the introduction of a new feeling into the intercourse of life, as the consequence of a wife's love is the birth of a new man into life. The consequences of counterfeit art are the perversion of man, pleasure which never satisfies, and the weakening of man's spiritual strength. What is art?