“Many men have been capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing.”

In this commonplace world every one is said to be romantic who either admires a fine thing or does one.

Why did I write? What sin to me unknown dipped me in ink, my parents , or my own?

Conceit is to nature what paint is to beauty; it is not only needless, but it impairs what it would improve.

Get your enemy to read your works in order to mend them, for your friend is so much your second self that he will judge too like you.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

When we are young, we are slavishly employed in procuring something whereby we may live comfortably when we grow old; and when we are old, we perceive it is too late to live as we proposed.

All nature is but art unknown to thee.

Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend.

Physicians are in general the most amiable companions and the best friends, as well as the most learned men I know.

Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.

The Right Divine of Kings to govern wrong.

Great oaks grow from little acorns. He has a green thumb. He has green fingers. He’s sowing his wild oats. Here Ceres’ gifts in waving prospect stand, And nodding tempt the joyful reaper’s hand.

All seems infected that th’ infected spy, As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.

It often happens that those are the best people whose characters have been most injured by slanderers: as we usually find that to be the sweetest fruit which the birds have been picking at.

Expression is the dress of thought.

The laughers are a majority.

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.

I sincerely believe that Indians have the ability to compete with the best in the world.

Focusing intently on Christ naturally results in a lifestyle of increasingly greater selflessness. And it has another benefit. Gazing on Christ gives us greater ability to look past life’s trials and remain calm in the midst of what others would call chaos.

Despite a lack of natural ability, I did have the one element necessary to all early creativity: naïveté, that fabulous quality that keeps you from knowing just how unsuited you are for what you are about to do.

The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.

It is so strange – if anyone takes my name, I have the ability to make them famous.

You must develop the ability to know the difference between a real problem and an imaginary one.

The ability to detach yourself from your thoughts is your ticket to freedom.