How does one kill fear, I wonder How do you shoot a spectre through the heart, slash off its spectral head, take it by the spectral throat Joseph Conrad More Quotes by Joseph Conrad More Quotes From Joseph Conrad They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating pretense, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces, so full of stupid importance. Joseph Conrad safetystupidperfect Words, as is well known, are the great foes of reality. I have been for many years a teacher of languages. It is an occupation which at length becomes fatal to whatever share of imagination, observation, and insight an ordinary person may be heir to. To a teacher of languages there comes a time when the world is but a place of many words and man appears a mere talking animal not much more wonderful than a parrot. Joseph Conrad teachermenreality We couldn't understand because we were too far... and could not remember because we were traveling in the night of first ages, those ages that had gone, leaving hardly a sign... and no memories. Joseph Conrad leavingnightmemories A ship in dock, surrounded by quays and the walls of warehouses, has the appearance of a prisoner meditating upon freedom in the sadness of a free spirit put under restraint. Joseph Conrad free-spiritwallsadness The hair of his face, on the contrary, carroty and flaming, resembled a growth of copper wire clipped short to the line of the lip; while, no matter how close he shaved, fiery metallic gleams passed, when he moved his head, over the surface of his cheeks. Joseph Conrad hairinspirationalfunny Vanity plays lurid tricks with our memory. Joseph Conrad vanityhumilitymemories There is a subtle and unmistakable touch of love and pride, beyond mere skill, almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art - which is art. Joseph Conrad inspirationloveart My task is to make you hear, feel and see. That and no more, and that is everything. Joseph Conrad tasksfeels 5: Social security will break small business, become a huge tax burden on our citizens, and bankrupt our country! Joseph Conrad citizenscarecountry And perhaps in this is the whole difference; perhaps all the wisdom, and all truth, and all sincerity, are just compressed into that inappreciable moment of time in which we step over the threshold of the invisible. Joseph Conrad differencesmomentssteps the mind of man is capable of anything--because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future Joseph Conrad futureinspirationalpast The Westerly Wind asserting his sway from the south-west quarter is often like a monarch gone mad, driving forth with wild imprecations the most faithful of his courtiers to shipwreck, disaster, and death. Joseph Conrad madwinddeath A man's most open actions have a secret side to them. Joseph Conrad keeping-secretsliteraturemen Lights of ships moved in the fairway-a great stir of lights going up and going down. And farther west on the upper reaches the place of the monstrous town was still marked ominously on the sky, a brooding gloom in sunshine, a lurid glare under the stars. Joseph Conrad sunshinestarslight Writing in English is like throwing mud at a wall. Joseph Conrad mudwallwriting But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone mad. Joseph Conrad madsoulheaven The earth for us is a place to live in, where we must put up with sights, with sounds, with smells, too, by Jove! - breathe dead hippo, so as to speak, and not be contaminated. And there, don't you see? your strength comes in, the faith in your ability for the digging of unostentatious holes to bury the stuff in - your power of devotion, not to yourself, but to an obscure, back-breaking business. Joseph Conrad smellsightsound I couldn't have felt more of lonely desolation somehow, had I been robbed of a belief or had missed my destiny in life. Joseph Conrad destinylonelybelief A caricature is putting the face of a joke on the body of a truth. Joseph Conrad Action is consolatory. It is the enemy of thought and the friend of illusions. Joseph Conrad
