More quotes by Jostein Gaarder, Sophie's World

"He could very likely have appealed for leniency. At least he could have saved his life by agreeing to leave Athens. But had he done this he would not have been Socrates. He valued his conscience--and the truth-- higher than life."
"A composition—and every work of art is one—is created in a wondrous interplay between imagination and reason, or between mind and reflection. For there will always be an element of chance in the creative process."
"But understanding will always require some effort. You probably wouldn't admire a friend who was good at everything if it cost her no effort."
"Man is the measure of all things', said the Sophist Protagora (c. 485-410 B.C.). By that he meant that the question of whether a thing is right or wrong, good or bad, must always be considered in relation to a person's needs."
"A state that does not educate and train women is like a man who only trains his right arm."