Home / Authors / Robert Musil

Robert Musil Quotes

Writer

Robert Musil, born on November 6, 1880, and died on April 15, 1942, was one of the greatest German novelists of the 20th century. He is renowned for his profound psychological portrayals and philosophical reflections in his works.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men World Form People Soul Art Doe Persons Reality Reason Stills Action Genius Intellectual Life Want Average Ideas Ifs Literature

Famous Robert Musil Quotes

“... there is no such thing as a rational world and a separate irrational world, but only one world containing both.”

World Life Reason Emotion Rational Irrational Containing

Book:Precision and Soul: Essays and Addresses

Source: Precision and Soul: Essays and Addresses

“... there is a particular propensity in the world for people, wherever they appear in great numbers, to permit themselves collectively everything that would be forbidden them individually.”

People World Would Be Numbers Human Nature Particular Temptation Permit Forbidden Propensity

Book:Precision and Soul: Essays and Addresses

Source: Precision and Soul: Essays and Addresses

“Every word wants to be taken literally, else it decays into a lie. But one mustn't take any word literally, else the world becomes a madhouse.”

World Want Lying Taken Decay Madhouses

Author:Robert Musil

“All still lifes are actually paintings of the world on the sixth day of creation, when God and the world were alone together, without man!”

Men World Stills Together Creation Painting

Author:Robert Musil

“And what would you do, ... if you could rule the world for a day? I suppose I would have no choice but to abolish reality.”

Ifs World Reality Choices Abolish

Book:The Man Without Qualities: Picador Classic

Source: The Man Without Qualities: Picador Classic

“Time, which runs through the world like an endless tinsel thread, seemed to pass through the centre of this room and through the centre of these people and suddenly to pause and petrify, stiff, still and glittering... and the objects in the room drew a little closer together.”

People World Littles Stills Running Together Rooms Objects Endless Thread Pauses Centre Glitter Tinsel

Book:Five Women

Source: Five Women

“There is nothing in this world as invisible as a monument”

World This World Invisible Monument

Book:Posthumous Papers of a Living Author

Source: Posthumous Papers of a Living Author

“Philosophers are people who do violence, but have no army at their disposal, and so subjugate the world by locking it into a system.”

People World Violence Army Philosopher

Author:Robert Musil

“What is the use of good painting? We want a spell cast upon the optical part of our existence! We seldom really see the world, but when we do, we become as still as a picture.”

World Want Stills Use Existence Painting Casts Spells

Author:Robert Musil

About the Author

Born: November 6, 1880
Died: April 15, 1942
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 112

Books & Sources

the Man Without QualitiesRelated source material

Precision and Soul: Essays and AddressesRelated source material

The Man Without Qualities: Picador ClassicRelated source material

Posthumous Papers of a Living AuthorRelated source material

The Man Without Qualities: Volume IRelated source material

Five WomenRelated source material

The Confusions of Young TörlessRelated source material

Der Mann ohne EigenschaftenRelated source material

Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften: Erstes BuchRelated source material

Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings TörleßRelated source material

Similar Authors

Johann Wolfgang von GoetheBrowse related quotes
Leo TolstoyBrowse related quotes
Thomas CarlyleBrowse related quotes
Gilbert K. ChestertonBrowse related quotes
Friedrich NietzscheBrowse related quotes
Friedrich SchillerBrowse related quotes
Ralph Waldo EmersonBrowse related quotes
Arthur SchopenhauerBrowse related quotes
John RuskinBrowse related quotes
D. H. LawrenceBrowse related quotes