A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will's freedom after it. Aldous Huxley More Quotes by Aldous Huxley More Quotes From Aldous Huxley Industrial civilization is only possible when there's no self-denial. Self-indulgence up to the very limits imposed by hygiene and economics. Otherwise the wheels stop turning. Aldous Huxley hygiene self civilization Amour is the one human activity of any importance in which laughter and pleasure preponderate, if ever so slightly, over misery and pain. Aldous Huxley laughter emotional pain In real life there is no such person as the average man. Aldous Huxley real average men God in the safe and Ford on the shelves. Aldous Huxley shelves brave-new-world safe All our science is just a cookery book, with an orthodox theory of cooking that nobody's allowed to question, and a list of recipes that mustn't be added to except by special permission from the head cook. Aldous Huxley cooking special book When the individual feels, the community reels. Aldous Huxley brave-new-world individual community What wonder, then, if human beings in their search for the divine have generally preferred to look within! Aldous Huxley divine wonder looks The only truly consistent are the dead. Aldous Huxley consistent It had the taste of an apple peeled with a steel knife. (Sebastian Barnack assessing a Roederer 1916 champagne in Time Must Have a Stop) Aldous Huxley knives apples wine Where beauty is worshipped for beauty's sake as a goddess, independent of and superior to morality and philosophy, the most horrible putrefaction is apt to set in. The lives of the aesthetes are the far from edifying commentary on the religion of beauty. Aldous Huxley god beauty life Like every man of sense and good feeling, I abominate work. Aldous Huxley work feelings men You all remember, I suppose, that beautiful and inspired saying of Our Ford's: History is bunk. Aldous Huxley bunk brave-new-world beautiful It's with bad sentiments that one makes good novels. Aldous Huxley sentiments novel writing I've never discussed my writing with others much, but I don't believe it can do any harm. I don't think that there's any risk that ideas or materials will evaporate. Aldous Huxley writing believe thinking Orthodoxy is the diehard of the world of thought. It learns not, neither can it forget. Aldous Huxley orthodoxy prejudice world In books, the proportion of exceptional to commonplace people is high; in reality, very low. Aldous Huxley writing book reality Only a person with a Best Seller mind can write Best Sellers. Aldous Huxley persons mind writing Specialized meaninglessness has come to be regarded, in certain circles, as a kind of hallmark of true science. Aldous Huxley circles literature science Civilization is sterilization. Aldous Huxley sterilization civilization Every individual is at once the beneficiary and the victim of the linguistic tradition into which he has been born. Aldous Huxley individual tradition language