The chief difficulty which prevents men of science from believing in divine as well as in nature Spirits is their materialism.

Almost everything that distinguishes the modern world from earlier centuries is attributable to science which achieved its most spectacular triumphs in the seventeenth century.

A scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.

I must have something to engross my thoughts some object in life which will fill this vacuum and prevent this sad wearing away of the heart.

'Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events straight from my own past. One was the sad suicide of my young nephew a troubled kid who was found at the bottom of a landmark cliff in central California. The second was a chance encounter forty years ago with none other than ahem Charles Manson!

All pictures are unnatural. All pictures are sad because they're about dead people. Paintings you don't think of in a special time or with a specific event. With photos I always think I'm looking at something dead.

I think opera has gained a kind of glamorous appeal. It's a live performance that aligns all of the arts and when it is represented in the media in film in particular it is presented as something that is really a special event whether it's a great date or something that's just hugely romantic.

I had these kind of unrealistic expectations that were fueled by romantic comedies and it has both helped me and hurt me in many ways. It helped me because in general they've made me hopeful. I just figure things will eventually work out for me. But nobody is like any Tom Hanks character. Nobody is Hugh Grant. No one is Meg Ryan!

Is this not the true romantic feeling not to desire to escape life but to prevent life from escaping you.

What we call 'evil' doesn't necessarily deserve any kind of respect or understanding by any means it just deserves an acknowledgement of its complexity so we can better understand it - so we can help prevent it.

Science may eventually explain the world of How. The ultimate world of Why may remain for contemplation philosophy religion.

The memory of my own suffering has prevented me from ever shadowing one young soul with the superstition of the Christian religion.

The latest horror to hit the U.S. looks to have been caused by people of Middle Eastern origin bearing Muslim names. Again shame. This fuels more hatred for a religion and a people who have nothing to do with these events.

I especially object to having my character assassinated by reference to events from my past which bear absolutely no relationship to the question of who the anthrax killer is.

It would have been nice for Greg to eventually grow into a mature relationship with Laura. He was moving toward that already but then took a turn into the juvenile with Paige.

Every relationship that we have in our lives - our contact with each person place and event - serves a very special if yet to be realized purpose: They are mirrors that can serve to show us things about ourselves that can be realized in no other way.

People who supported Obama felt like they formed a relationship that they were being spoken to. The way that campaign worked and the way he's worked during his first term is to make people feel like he's grasping their hand whether it's by tweeting or email moments after an event sometimes during an event. It makes people relate to him.

The power which establishes a state is violence the power which maintains it is violence the power which eventually overthrows it is violence.

I have two daughters and I have done everything in my power to prevent them from assimilating even being aware of my idiocy about my weight.

No punishment has ever possessed enough power of deterrence to prevent the commission of crimes. On the contrary whatever the punishment once a specific crime has appeared for the first time its reappearance is more likely than its initial emergence could ever have been.

The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualised that it ceases to have the power and meaning it had when it first started.

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own good either physical or moral is not sufficient warrant.

I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward as though you have the confidence to move forward eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you've done.

Next to enjoying ourselves the next greatest pleasure consists in preventing others from enjoying themselves or more generally in the acquisition of power.