Georg Simmel

The most superficial things can have the deepest meaning.

The essence of secrecy is that it is a form of power.

The individual is always both inside and outside of society.

The modern individual lives in a constant tension between freedom and necessity.

The fragment is a symbol of the modern condition, where everything is incomplete and fragmented.

The more individualized we become, the more we resemble each other.

The meaning of life is not to be found in life itself, but in the forms of life.

The tragedy of the modern individual is that he is too much himself and not enough of the world.

The most intimate relationships are often the most distant.

The existence of secrets is a necessary condition for the existence of society.

The more complex society becomes, the more primitive its foundations.

The modern individual is a paradox: both free and determined.

The value of an idea is not in its truth, but in its power to transform.

The essence of culture is that it is always in crisis.

The human being is an animal that can say 'no'.

The crowd is a temporary madness that allows individuals to escape their solitude.

The deepest secret of life is that it has no secret.

The modern city is a machine for the production of indifference.

The essence of tragedy is that it is not tragic enough.

The more organized society becomes, the more individual freedom is threatened.