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Quotes by Hungarian Authors

"The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwards."

"The artist writes, paints, sings or dances the burden of some idea or feeling off his mind."

"To cause the face to appear in a mass of flame make use of the following: mix together thoroughly petroleum, lard, mutton tallow and quick lime. Distill this over a charcoal fire, and the liquid which results can be burned on the face without harm."

"The music of the Gypsies belongs in the sphere of improvisation rather than in any other, without which it would have no power to exist."

"I had read too many memoirs that were written after the writer or the director was past his or her prime."

"It is chiefly in New York that I feel induced to urge this, because New York is, by innumerable ties, connected with Europe - more connected than several parts of Europe itself."

"Human beings exercise responsibilities within a social setting and a framework of obligations which transcend the principle of intelligence."

"Civilization is built on a number of ultimate principles... respect for human life, the punishment of crimes against property and persons, the equality of all good citizens before the law... or, in a word justice."

"I cannot conceive of music that expresses absolutely nothing."

"I believe that the confidence of Hungary in me is not shaken by misfortune nor broken by my calumniators."

"In my piano concerto I developed this polyphony to much higher complexity."

"Nothing prevents us from being and remaining the exponents of a united humanity, when we have a country of our own. To fulfill this mission we do not have to remain literally planted among the nations who hate and despise us."

"I want a man who's kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire?"

"It is impossible to imagine a more complete fusion with nature than that of the Gypsy."

"Now that I am a deputy, I will cease to be an agitator."

"There is no falsification before the emergence of a better theory."

"There are three signs of senility. The first sign is that a man forgets his theorems. The second sign is that he forgets to zip up. The third sign is that he forgets to zip down."

"The character of a people may be ruined by charity."

"Meanwhile, politics is about getting a candidate in front of the public as a star, politics as rock'n'roll, politics as a movie."

"The principle mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers."

"Once I completed the Cube and demonstrated it to my students, I realized it was nearly impossible to put down."

"If anyone thinks that Jews can steal into the land of their fathers, he is deceiving either himself or others. Nowhere is the coming of Jews so promptly noted as in the historic home of the Jews, for the very reason that it is the historic home."

"We must recognize that as the dominant power in the world we have a special responsibility. In addition to protecting our national interests, we must take the leadership in protecting the common interests of humanity."

"It is still an open question, however, as to what extent exposure really injures a performer."

"Television is something the Russians invented to destroy American education."

"The criminalization of marijuana did not prevent marijuana from becoming the most widely used illegal substance in the United States and many other countries. But it did result in extensive costs and negative consequences."

"Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline."

"The Cube is an imitation of life itself - or even an improvement on life."

"I have always been fascinated by the corruption of power."

"To my mind, there is a solution which has to do with democracy, because democratic governments are subject to the will of the people. So, if the people will it, you can actually create international institutions through the democratic states."

"Inspiration is enough to give expression to the tone in singing, especially when the song is without words."

"The land which the Society of Jews will have secured by international law must naturally be privately owned."

"It would be wrong to assume that one must stay with a research programme until it has exhausted all its heuristic power, that one must not introduce a rival programme before everybody agrees that the point of degeneration has probably been reached."

"And the inner dynamics of Hollywood are like politics. Say you give a script to a group of executives - they all sit around, afraid to voice an opinion, saying nothing, waiting to know what the consensus is. Just like focus groups, opinion polls or a cabinet."

"True creativity often starts where language ends."

"What We want is to make it possible for our unfortunate people to live a life of industry for it is by steady work alone that we hope for our physical and moral rehabilitation. For this reason above all we have undertaken to rally our people around our ideal."

"Although both sides of my family were religious, I was never forced to practice the Jewish faith. I did not really rebel against it, but then, as today, I disliked organized religion. I have a strange inhibition about praying with others."
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