More quotes by Jostein Gaarder, Sophie's World

"People are, generally speaking, either dead certain or totally indifferent (Both types are crawling around deep down in the rabbit's fur!)"
"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."
"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."
"The rearing of children is considered too important to be left to the individual and should be the responsibility of the state."
"A philosopher knows that in reality he knows very little. That is why he constantly strives to achieve true insight. Socrates was one of these rare people. He knew that he knew nothing about life and about the world. And now comes the important part: it troubled him that he knew so little."