“It was the ultimate possible statement of powerlessness and desperation [Richter is referring to w:John Cage's famous 'Lecture on Nothing']. Nothing, absolutely nothing left, no figures, no color, nothing. Then you realize after you've painted three of them that one's better than the others and you ask yourself why is that. When I see eight pictures together I no longer feel that they're sad, or if so, they're sad in a pleasant way.”

“When I was teaching, the headmaster told me "You know, the sad thing about true stupidity is that you can do absolutely nothing about it."”

“They're beautiful. But sad.'
Everything's sad if you make it so, I said.”

“Reader, nothing is sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name. Nothing.”

“when there's no, no storm
Then how can I feel the calm?
If theres nothing, nothing, nothing left to lose
Then what is this feeling

That keeps on bringing me back to you?”

“It didn't take long to realize I didn't hardly know nothing. And that if you ast yourself why you black or a man or a woman or a bush it don't mean nothing if you don't ast why you here, period”

“Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion.”

“There is nothing so desperately monotonous as the sea, and I no longer wonder at the cruelty of pirates.”

“There was a man and he had eight sons. Apart from that, he was nothing more than a comma on the page of History. It's sad, but that's all you can say about some people.”

“I ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself.”