Let language be the divining rod that finds the sources of thought. Karl Kraus More Quotes by Karl Kraus More Quotes From Karl Kraus It is a mystery to me how a theologian can be praised for having brought himself to disbelieve dogmas. I've always thought that those who have brought themselves to believe in dogmas merit the true recognition owing a heroic deed. Karl Kraus heroic-deedsbelievereligion The real truths are those that can be invented. Karl Kraus real-truthrealtruth Curses on the law! Most of my fellow citizens are the sorry consequences of uncommitted abortions. Karl Kraus abortionlawsorry If one reads a newspaper only for information, one does not learn the truth, not even the truth about the paper. The truth is that the newspaper is not a statement of contents but the contents themselves; and more than that, it is an instigator. Karl Kraus informationpaperdoe A bibliophile has approximately the same relationship to literature as a philatelist to geography. Karl Kraus geographyliteraturebook I and life: The case was settled chivalrously. The opponents parted without having made up. Karl Kraus opponentsliteraturemade Life is an effort that deserves a better cause. Karl Kraus effortcauseslife-is The trouble with Germans is not that they fire shells, but that they engrave them with quotations from Kant. Karl Kraus shellsliteraturefire Satire that the censor understands is rightly censored. Karl Kraus censoredsatire We are sacrificing ourselves for our ready-made goods; we are consumers and live in such a way that the means may consume the end. Karl Kraus sacrificemaymean The world is a prison in which solitary confinement is preferable. Karl Kraus solitaryprisonworld You don't even live once. Karl Kraus Keep your passions in check, but beware of giving your reason free rein. Karl Kraus passionemotiongiving They judge lest they be judged. Karl Kraus judgedmoralityjudging The triumph of morality: A thief who has broken into a bedroom claims his sense of shame had been outraged, and by threatening theoccupants with exposure of an immoral act he blackmails them into not bringing charges for burglary. Karl Kraus thievestriumphbroken Let my style capture all the sounds of my time. This should make it an annoyance to my contemporaries. But later generations should hold it to their ears like a seashell in which there is the music of an ocean of mud. Karl Kraus stylemusicocean I have often been asked to be fair and view a matter from all sides. I did so, hoping that something might improve if I viewed allsides of it. But the result was the same. So I went back to viewing things only from one side, which saves me a lot of work and disappointment. For it is comforting to regard something as bad and to be able to use one's prejudice as an excuse. Karl Kraus perspectivedisappointmentviews Progress celebrates victories over nature. Progress makes purses out of human skin. When people were traveling in mail coaches, the world got ahead better than it does now that salesmen fly through the air. What good is speed if the brain has oozed out on the way? How will the heirs of this age be taught the most basic motions that are necessary to activate the most complicated machines? Nature can rely on progress; it will avenge it for the outrage it has perpetrated on it. Karl Kraus natureairpeople I have decided many a stylistic problem first by my head, then by heads or tails. Karl Kraus heads-or-tailsstylefirsts The esthete stands in the same relation to beauty as the pornographer stands to love, and the politician stands to life. Karl Kraus politicianbeautylife
