Man seeks to escape himself in myth, and does so by any means at his disposal. Drugs, alcohol, or lies. Unable to withdraw into himself, he disguises himself. Lies and inaccuracy give him a few moments of comfort. – Jean Cocteau
When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work. – Jean Cocteau
Here I am trying to live, or rather, I am trying to teach the death within me how to live. – Jean Cocteau
The instinct of nearly all societies is to lock up anybody who is truly free. First, society begins by trying to beat you up. If this fails, they try to poison you. If this fails too, the finish by loading honors on your head. – Jean Cocteau
The shortest way out of Manchester is notoriously a bottle of Gordons gin; out of any businessmans life there is the mirage of Paris; out of Paris, or mediocrity of talent and imagination, there are all the drugs, from subtle, all-conquering opium to cheating, cozening cocaine. – William Bolitho