Bertrand Russell

Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, Thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought is great and swift and free.

The theoretical understanding of the world, which is the aim of philosophy, is not a matter of great practical importance to animals, or to savages, or even to most civilised men.

A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live.

The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.

The most savage controversies are about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way.

Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.

The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented Hell.

Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires.

Anything you're good at contributes to happiness.

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

I like mathematics because it is not human and has nothing particular to do with this planet or with the whole accidental universe - because, like Spinoza's God, it won't love us in return.

The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.

Freedom comes only to those who no longer ask of life that it shall yield them any of those personal goods that are subject to the mutations of time.

Freedom of opinion can only exist when the government thinks itself secure.

Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires.

I believe in using words, not fists. I believe in my outrage knowing people are living in boxes on the street. I believe in honesty. I believe in a good time. I believe in good food. I believe in sex.

None but a coward dares to boast that he has never known fear.

Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.