The almost insoluble task is to let neither the power of others, nor our own powerlessness, stupefy us. Theodor W. Adorno More Quotes by Theodor W. Adorno More Quotes From Theodor W. Adorno Not only is the self entwined in society; it owes society its existence in the most literal sense. Theodor W. Adorno only existence society self If time is money, it seems moral to save time, above all one's own, and such parsimony is excused by consideration for others. One is straight-forward. Theodor W. Adorno own moral money time Wrong life cannot be lived rightly. Theodor W. Adorno lived wrong cannot life Work while you work, play while you play - this is a basic rule of repressive self-discipline. Theodor W. Adorno self-discipline you play work The good man is he who rules himself as he does his own property: his autonomous being is modelled on material power. Theodor W. Adorno good man good-man power Love you will find only where you may show yourself weak without provoking strength. Theodor W. Adorno yourself you strength love The joke of our time is the suicide of intention. Theodor W. Adorno joke intention suicide time Today self-consciousness no longer means anything but reflection on the ego as embarrassment, as realization of impotence: knowing that one is nothing. Theodor W. Adorno nothing ego reflection today Exuberant health is always, as such, sickness also. Theodor W. Adorno also always sickness health Every work of art is an uncommitted crime. Theodor W. Adorno every crime work art In the end, glorification of splendid underdogs is nothing other than glorification of the splendid system that makes them so. Theodor W. Adorno system in-the-end end nothing Freedom would be not to choose between black and white but to abjure such prescribed choices. Theodor W. Adorno black-and-white black freedom white An emancipated society, on the other hand, would not be a unitary state, but the realization of universality in the reconciliation of differences. Theodor W. Adorno hand differences society realization He who has loved and who betrays love does harm not only to the image of the past, but to the past itself. Theodor W. Adorno image loved love past Love is the power to see similarity in the dissimilar. Theodor W. Adorno see similarity power love-is love The human is indissolubly linked with imitation: a human being only becomes human at all by imitating other human beings. Theodor W. Adorno human-being human only being Quality is decided by the depth at which the work incorporates the alternatives within itself, and so masters them. Theodor W. Adorno within quality depth work None of the abstract concepts comes closer to fulfilled utopia than that of eternal peace. Theodor W. Adorno than utopia abstract peace Modernity is a qualitative, not a chronological, category. Theodor W. Adorno category qualitative modernity The task of art today is to bring chaos into order. Theodor W. Adorno task bring chaos today art