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Quotes

Appearances often are deceiving.

—Aesop, c. 550 BC

The Mughal’s nature is such that they demand miracles, but if a miracle were to be performed by some upright follower of our religion, they would say that it had been brought about by magic and sorcery. They would strike him down with spears or would stone him to death.

—Fr. Antonio Monserrate, 1590

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

—Saint Augustine, c. 400

To ensure the adoration of a theorem for any length of time, faith is not enough; a police force is needed as well.

—Albert Camus, 1951

Once something becomes discernible, or understandable, we no longer need to repeat it. We can destroy it.

—Robert Wilson, 1991

God is alive. Magic is afoot.

—Leonard Cohen, 1966

On no other stage are the scenes shifted with a swiftness so like magic as on the great stage of history when once the hour strikes.

—Edward Bellamy, 1888

Superstitions are habits rather than beliefs.

—Marlene Dietrich, 1962

There is nothing that man fears more than the touch of the unknown. He wants to see what is reaching toward him and to be able to recognize or at least classify it. Man always tends to avoid physical contact with anything strange.

—Elias Canetti, 1960

Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost.

—Robert Southey, 1809

Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear.

—William Shakespeare, 1592

Nothing is so easy to fake as the inner vision.

—Robertson Davies, 1985

There are times when reality becomes too complex for oral communication. But legend gives it a form by which it pervades the whole world.

—Jean-Luc Godard, 1965