Karl Kraus: Quotes about people

Karl Kraus was Czech playwright and publicist. Explore interesting quotes on people.
Karl Kraus: 188   quotes 5   likes

“Solitude would be an ideal state if one were able to pick the people one avoids.”

Karl Kraus

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

People , Solitude

“If I return some people's greetings, I do so only to give them their greeting back.”

Karl Kraus

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

People

“To divide people into sadists and masochists is almost as foolish as dividing them into eaters and digesters. In all cases one must disregard abnormalities; after all, there are people who are better at digesting than they are at eating and vice versa. As regards masochism and sadism, it is safe to say that a healthy person displays both perversities. The only ugly thing in each case is the word. The one derived from the novelist Leopold von Sacher-Masoch is particularly degrading, and it is hard not to let one's taste for things be spoiled by the designation. Nevertheless, a man with an artistic imagination will manage to let an authentic woman turn him into a masochist and an inauthentic one into a sadist. One knocks the latter's educated unnaturalness out of her until the woman is revealed. If she already is a woman, the only thing left to do is adore her.”

Karl Kraus

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

People , Education , Imagination , Personality

“I would have stage-fright if I had to speak with every one of the people before whom I speak.”

Karl Kraus

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

People

“The secret of the demagogue is to appear as dumb as his audience so that these people can believe themselves as smart as he.”

Karl Kraus

Variant translation: The secret of the demagogue is to make himself as stupid as his audience so that they believe they are as clever as he.
Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

Secret , Appearance , People

“It so often happened to me that someone who shared my opinion kept the larger share for himself that I am now forewarned and offer people only ideas.”

Karl Kraus

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

Idea , People

“There is no doubt that a dog is loyal. But does that mean we should emulate him? After all, he is loyal to people, not to other dogs.”

Karl Kraus

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

Dogs , People