The fear of life, the fear of burdens and of duties, of annoyances and of catastrophes! The fear of life, which makes us, through dread of its sufferings, refuse its joys. Ah! I tell you, this cowardliness enrages me; I cannot forgive it. We must live - live a complete life - live all our life.
— Emile Zola
I believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of truths slowly accumulated, and which will never again be lost. I believe that the sum of these truths, always increasing, will at last confer on man incalculable power and peace, if not happiness. Yes, I believe in the final triumph of life.
Up to this day, there has been no proof of the existence of any intelligence other than the human.
People like comfort; that's natural. But as for making money simply for the sake of making it, and giving yourself far more trouble and anxiety to gain it than you can ever get pleasure from it when it's gained, why, as for me, I'd rather sit still and cross my arms.
I am little concerned with beauty or perfection. I don't care for the great centuries. All I care about is life, struggle, intensity.
Perfection is such a nuisance that I often regret having cured myself of using tobacco.
If you shut up truth, and bury it underground, it will but grow.
One forges one's style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines.
The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
Vines will be planted, corn will spring up, a whole growth of new crops; and people will still fall in love in vintages and harvests yet to come. Life is eternal; it is a perpetual renewal of birth and growth.
I believe that the future of humanity is in the progress of reason through science. I believe that the pursuit of truth, through science, is the divine ideal which man should propose to himself.
One must be arrogant, indeed, to imagine that one can take everything in one's hand and know everything!
Selling beauty is something I can understand. Even selling false beauty seems perfectly natural; it's a sign of progress.
The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men.
If I cannot overwhelm with my quality, I will overwhelm with my quantity.
The truth is on the march and nothing will stop it.
In my view you cannot claim to have seen something until you have photographed it.
Keep well; that is the half of wisdom and of happiness.
I defy you to find any real will, any reasoning force, outside of life. And everything is there; there is, in the world, no other will than this force which impels everything to life, a life even broader and higher.
When people have not the same ideas, it is certainly better not to talk about them.
In Paris, everything's for sale: wise virgins, foolish virgins, truth and lies, tears and smiles.
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.
The thought is a deed. Of all deeds she fertilizes the world most.
I am an artist... I am here to live out loud.
There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.
