"People who do not understand themselves have a craving for understanding — a thing which is rather surmised and never spoken than known and clothed in words."

“In reality, we are still children. We want to find a playmate for our thoughts and feelings.”

“Anxiety is fear of one's self.”

“Many times I had spoken about "mental bipolarity" and proved that our affects are bipolar. Desire and disgust, love and hate, will-to-power and will-to-submission, are composed of negative and positive parts like the current of electricity. My contention was that any human affect has its own counterpart. Later Bleuler described this fact as "ambivalence," a term that was accepted by everybody, whereas previously they had laughed at my discovery, and given me the nickname "Stekel with his Bipolarity.”

“Love at first sight is a revival of an infantile impression. The first love object reappears in a different disguise.”

“Many an attack of depression is nothing but the expression of regret at having to be virtuous.”

“Truth is not always the best basis for happiness. There are certain lies which may constitute a far better and more secure foundation of happiness. There are people who perish when their eyes are opened.”