Georg Simmel

"Imagination is the engine of progress."

"Technology mirrors human ambitions."

"History repeats because humans forget."

"Philosophy begins in wonder."

"Literature immortalizes the human condition."

"Politics shapes the conditions of our lives."

"War is the failure of understanding."

"Motivation flows from meaning."

"Inspiration is grace disguised as chance."

"Relationships are the substance of life."

"Solitude is the soul's sanctuary."

"The deepest problems of modern life flow from the attempt of the individual to maintain the independence and individuality of his existence in the face of overwhelming social forces."

"Society is held together not by consent but by the fact that it satisfies human needs."

"Money is crystallized social relations."

"The stranger is near and far at the same time."

"Conflict is the form in which differences are expressed; understanding comes through the struggle."

"Fashion is the pursuit of equality through differentiation."

"We are not happy because we are free; we are free because we pursue happiness."

"The web of group affiliations becomes denser as civilization advances."

"Truth exists in the interaction between observer and observed."

"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."

"Culture is the cultivation of our inner powers as opposed to the cultivation of things external."

"Every interaction leaves a trace upon the soul."

"The blasé attitude is a protective shield against the overwhelming stimuli of modern life."

"Distance in relationships creates intimacy through longing."

"Numbers are the language through which we understand infinity."

"Loyalty is the most selfish of all virtues."

"The secret of greatness is to remain unknown while shaping the world."

"Beauty is the form of the formless."

"We are all strangers to ourselves."