Iris Murdoch

Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self. To be damned is for one's ordinary everyday mode of consciousness to be unremitting agonising preoccupation with self.

In philosophy if you aren't moving at a snail's pace you aren't moving at all.

The sin of pride may be a small or a great thing in someone's life, and hurt vanity a passing pinprick or a self-destroying or even murderous obsession. Possibly, more people kill themselves and others out of hurt vanity than out of envy, jealousy, malice or desire for revenge.

Perhaps misguided moral passion is better than confused indifference.

Philosophy! Empty thinking by ignorant conceited men who think they can digest without eating!

We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.