Karel Capek
Karel Capek
Karel Čapek; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer of the early 20th century. He had multiple roles throughout his career such as playwright, dramatist, essayist, publisher, literary reviewer, photographer and art critic. Nonetheless, he is best known for his science fiction including his novel War with the Newts and the play R.U.R., which introduced the word robot. He also wrote many politically charged works dealing with the social turmoil of his time. Largely influenced by american...
NationalityCzechoslovakian
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth9 January 1890
Nothing is stranger to man than his own image.
Robots of the world, you are ordered to exterminate the human race. Do not spare the men. Do not spare the women. Preserve only the factories, railroads, machines, mines, and raw materials. Destroy everything else. Then return to work. Work must not cease.
Man will never be enslaved by machinery if the man tending the machine be paid enough.
I find that a real gardener is not a man who cultivates flowers; he is a man who cultivates the soil. He is a creature who digs himself into the earth and leaves the sight of what is on it to us gaping good-for-nothings. He lives buried in the ground. He builds his monument in a heap of compost. If he came into the Garden of Eden, he would sniff excitedly and say: "Good Lord, what humus!"
Everyone has the best of feelings towards mankind in general, but not towards the individual man. We'll kill men, but we want to save mankind. And that isn't right, your Reverence. The world will be an evil place as long as people don't believe in other people.
A short life is better for mankind, for a long life would deprive man of his optimism.
People should be a little loony, Helena. That's the best thing about them.
Any acceleration constitutes progress, Miss Glory. Nature had no understanding of the modern rate of work. From a technical standpoint the whole of childhood is pure nonsense. Simply wasted time. An untenable waste of time.
The English gentleman is a combination of silence, courtesy, dignity, sport, newspapers and honesty.
I think I am slowly becoming an anarchist, that this is only another label for my privateness, and I think that you will understand this in the sense of being against collectivity.
You never realize a dog is a man's best friend until you start betting on horses.
You still stand watch, O human star, burning without a flicker, perfect flame, bright and resourceful spirit. Each of your rays a great idea - O torch which passes from hand to hand, from age to age, world without end.
Wherever on this planet ideals of personal freedom and dignity apply, there you will find the cultural inheritance of England.
One never knows whether people have principles on principle or whether for their own personal satisfaction.