Norman Lebrecht

“Folk wisdom has it that five Jews wrote the rules of society: Moses said, “The law is everything.” Jesus said, “Love is everything.” Marx said, “Money is everything.” Freud said, “Sex is everything.” Einstein said, “Everything is relative.”
― Norman Lebrecht, Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947

“The thing you have to remember about artists...is never to trust their immediate response. Whatever the news, their reaction will be self-protective. The mask goes on, and you see only what they let you see. These creatures carry their emotions around in a violin-case, reserving their only honest expression for the public stage. In private, they turn emotion on and off at will. Never believe an artist when he weeps or declares love. It's all a grand performance. Treat their upsets as you would a child's tantrums. Console, then instruct. Show compassion when it's called for, firmness when it runs out. Give them an illusion of your love for them - but never love itself, or they will devour you.”
― Norman Lebrecht, The Song of Names