641 Quotes by José Saramago

Age carries with it a double load of guilt.

A human being is a being who is constantly ‘under construction,’ but also, in a parallel fashion, always in a state of constant destruction.

Why did we become blind, I don’t know, perhaps one day we’ll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don’t think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.

I can’t imagine myself outside any kind of social or political involvement. Yes, I’m a writer, but I live in this world, and my writing doesn’t exist on a separate level. And if people know who I am and read my books, well, good; that way, if I have something more to say, then everyone benefits.

We all have our moments of weakness, just as well that we are still capable of weeping, tears are often our salvation, there are times when we would die if we did not weep – Blindness.

The minds of human beings are not always entirely at one with the world in which they live, some people have trouble adjusting to reality, basically they’re just weak, confused spirits who use words, sometimes very skillfully, to justify their cowardice.

The problem is that the right doesn’t need any ideas to govern, but the left can’t govern without ideas.

People live with the illusion that we have a democratic system, but it’s only the outward form of one. In reality we live in a plutocracy, a government of the rich.

Death has no need to be cruel, taking people’s lives is more than enough.