1
Everyone endeavours to eliminate through the other individual his own weaknesses, defects, and deviations from the type, lest they be perpetuated or even grow into complete abnormalities in the child which will be produced.Alain De Botton
2
We would not reliably assent to reproduce unless we first had lost our minds.Alain De Botton
3
Booksellers are the most valuable destination for the lonely, given the numbers of books written because authors couldn't find anyone to talk to.Alain De Botton
4
We pick our friends not only because they are kind and enjoyable company, but also, perhaps more importantly, because they understand us for who we think we are.Alain De Botton
5
What we encounter in works of art and philosophy are objective versions of our own pains and struggles, evoked and defined in sound, language or image. Artists and philosophers not only show us what we have felt, they present our experiences more poignantly and intelligently than we have been able; they give shape to aspects of our lives that we recognise as our own, yet could never have understood so clearly on our own. They explain our condition to us, and thereby help us to be less lonely with, and confused by it.Alain De Botton
6
The essence of art is that its one case applies to thousands, ' knew Schopenhauer.Alain De Botton
7
The continuing belief that the world is fundamentally just is implied in the very complaint that there has been an injustice.Alain De Botton
8
When we suspect that we are appropriate targets for hurt, it does not take much for us to believe that someone or something is out to hurt usAlain De Botton
9
There is an easy way to measure our inner levels of abjectness and friendliness to ourselves: we should examine how well we response to noise.Alain De Botton