I keep silent about a lot of things because I don’t like to confuse people, and I’m content for them to be happy about things that annoy me.

Ich schweige zu vielem still; denn ich mag die Menschen nicht irre machen und bin wohl zufrieden, wenn sie sich freuen da, wo ich mich ärgere.

– Maxims and reflections, No. 503 Translation by Goethe Global. No. 3420

Goethe on opinions, 2

The truth is that the vast majority of avid readers has never written anything of worth, and of the many books written monthly, almost nothing is of any worth to any future philosophy, art or science! All this ‘modern’ literacy has only given voice to idiots!

Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in action.

Es ist nichts schrecklicher als eine tätige Unwissenheit.

– Maxims and reflections, No. 367 Translation by Bailey Saunders. No. 3418

Goethe on ignorance, 1

I believe there is nothing worse than a bad conscience acting willingly out of resentment. No evil is worse than this, even the cruel evil man does what he does out of his own cold blood.