Great and strange ideas transcending experience often have less effect upon men and women than smaller, more tangible considerations. ~ The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. ~ East of Eden by John Steinbeck
“And what, incidentally, do you think integrity is? The ability not to pick a watch out of your neighbor’s pocket? No, it’s not as easy as that. If that were all, I’d say ninety-five percent of humanity were honest, upright men. Only, as you can see, they aren’t. Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea. That presupposes the ability to think. Thinking is something one doesn’t borrow or pawn.” ~ The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
In the world of ideas everything was clear; in life all was obscure, embroiled. ~ Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley
Being a man of very few ideas, he cherished those he had with an exaggerated care. ~ Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker
Inherited ideas are a curious thing, and interesting to observe and examine. ~ A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
