Bertolt Brecht

“The world of knowledge takes a crazy turn when teachers themselves are taught to learn.”

“People who understand everything get no stories.”

“The first time it was reported that our friends were being butchered there was a cry of horror. Then a hundred were butchered. But when a thousand were butchered and there was no end to the butchery, a blanket of silence spread. When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out "stop!"When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer.”

“One forgets too easily the difference between a man and his image, and that there is none between the sound of his voice on the screen and in real life.”

“No one can be good for long if goodness is not in demand.”

“EpitaphDen Tigern ertrann ichDie Wanzen nährte ichAufgefressen wurde ichVon den Mittelmäßigkeiten.”

“No one will improve your lot if you do not yourself.”

“And I did work out something: that the rich of the earth indeed create misery, but they cannot bear to see it. They are weaklings and fools just like you. As long as they have enough to eat and can grease their floors with butter so that even the crumbs that fall from your table grow fat, they can't look with indifference on a man collapsing from hunger - although, of course, it must be in front of their house that he collapses.”

“Don't be afraid of death so much as an inadequate life.”

“Mixing one's wines may be a mistake, but old and new wisdom mix admirably.”

“We attacked a foreign people and treated them like rebels. As you know, it's all right to treat barbarians barbarically. It's the desire to be barbaric that makes governments call their enemies barbarians.”

“Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.”

“Grub first, then ethics.”

“The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events. He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics. The imbecile doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies.”

“It's all right to hesitate if you then go ahead.”

“Everyone chases after happiness, not noticing that happiness is right at their heels.”

“Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.”

“Science knows only one commandment - contribute to science.”

“Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.”

“Society cannot share a common communication system so long as it is split into warring factions.”