"the same question arose in every soul: "For what, for whom, must I kill and be killed?"... p982" - Leo Tolstoy

Germans are self-confident on the basis of an abstract notion — science, that is, the supposed knowledge of absolute truth. A Frenchman is self-assured because he regards himself personally, both in mind and body, as irresistibly attractive to men and women. An Englishman is self-assured, as being a citizen of the best-organized state in the world, and therefore as an Englishman always knows what he should do and knows that all he does as an Englishman is undoubtedly correct. An Italian is self-assured because he is excitable and easily forgets himself and other people. A Russian is self-assured just because he knows nothing and does not want to know anything, since he does not believe that anything can be known.

لماذا تسقط التفاحة عندما تنضج؟ هل إن ثقلها يشدها إلى الأرض أم أن الشمس أذبلتها وهزتها الريح فأسقطتها؟ أم هل استجابت لنداء الغلام الذي نظر إليها فراقه منظرها واستهواها؟
إن السبب لا يكمن في كل ما ذكرناه.. إن التعليل الوحيد هو تفاعل في الأعضاء فنرى العالم النباتي يعزو السقوط إلى انهيار النسيج النووي بينما يعزوه الطفل إلى استجابة صلواته المتكرره لنيل التفاحة.. قديكون الاثنان على حق..

Whatever question arose, a swarm of these drones, without having finished their buzzing on a previous theme, flew over to the new one and by their hum drowned and obscured the voices of those who were disputing honestly.