385 Quotes by Andre Gide

The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, “seeing that his work was good.”

Man’s responsibility increases as that of the gods decreases.

Envying another man’s happiness is madness; you wouldn’t know what to do with it if you had it.

Through loyalty to the past, our mind refuses to realize that tomorrow’s joy is possible only if today’s makes way for it; that each wave owes the beauty of its line only to the withdrawal of the preceding one.

Only fools don’t contradict themselves.

To know how to free oneself is nothing; the arduous thing is to know what to do with one’s freedom.

The truth is, I hoped the cure would dislike me. I tried to think of disagreeable things to say to him – I could hit on nothing that wasn’t charming. It’s wonderful how hard I find it not to be fascinating.

I can’t expect others to share my virtues. It’s good enough for me if they share my vices.

The important thing is being capable of emotions, but to experience only one’s own would be a sorry limitation.