Profundity must smile. - Thomas Mann

Death was a blessing, so great, so deep that we can fathom it only at those moments, like this one now, when we are reprieved from it. It was the return home from long, unspeakably painful wanderings, the correction of a great error, the loosening of tormenting chains, the removal of barriers — -it set a horrible accident to rights again.

Because man loves and honors man as long as he is not able to judge him, and desire is a product of lacking knowledge.

He took in the squeaky music, the vulgar and pining melodies, because passion immobilizes good taste and seriously considers what soberly would be thought of as funny and to be resented.