“Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise.”

“One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination.”

“People who get Nobel prizes aren't necessarily the most imaginative of people. People who sometimes find a system, develop a system, do very useful work.”

“Love, with very young people, is a heartless business. We drink at that age from thirst, or to get drunk; it is only later in life that we occupy ourselves with the individuality of our wine. A young man in love is essentially enraptured by the forces within himself.”

“I have very little patience for people who whine and complain about life not being fair. It's just the risk of life. The only thing to do is live as much as you can and as best you can, and just sort of swing it from there.”

“To be upright and to have an imagination: that is enough to be a very good young man.”

“Most people have no imagination. If they could imagine the sufferings of others, they would not make them suffer so.”

“[Chess] is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever, when they are only wasting their time.”

“Lies hurt people; imagination makes life more fun.”

“Next to the very young, I suppose the very old are the most selfish.”