dignity

They praise the dignity of those they are condescending to, ashamed of their condescension.

enter Rumour painted full of tongues

It is foolish to search for the source of a malicious rumour. There is no source, only several repeated versions and several interpretations. The malice need not appear until the last interpretation.

gift

A gift with strings attached is not a gift. A gift received without gratitude robs the recipient of his privilege.

prose and thought

According to Schopenhauer, most write without thought, many think in order to write, and a few write because they have thought. He failed to mention those who write in order to think. Pope was hardly alone in getting it wrong. He should have said of good writing: what never was thought until so well expressed. Benjamin put it best: write no more  than you think.

trust

They demand trust who are untrustworthy.

balance

Balance is the last refuge of the tedious.

justice

Justice must not only appear to be done, it must be done.

apology

Those who demand an apology no longer deserve one. And when it is given they won't accept it.

wisdom

Wisdom is no longer wise. It is stupid under the conditions of modernity.

aphorisms

An aphorism is a citation from a larger test. Its meaning lies beyond its horizon.

second chance

The Weak Law of Redemption comes in the form of a question: What do you do next?

paradox

Knowledge is power, and 'le pouvoir est essentiellement stupide (La Rochefoucauld)'

resentment

History consoles its victims with resentment, just in case they haven't suffered enough.

einmal ist keinmal

A sentence that is not worth reading twice is not worth writing once. It will already have been written and read before.

prose

In prose content is style

eternal recurrence

Each generation is distinguished by its own form of stupidity. It is discovered by the next generation, which uses it to license its own.

nature

As a stylist nature is unsurpassed: its art is for art's sake, and it conceals its art.