“I said there was a society of men among us, bred up from their youth in the art of proving by words multiplied for the purpose, that white is black, and black is white, according as they are paid. To this society all the rest of the people are as slaves.”

The worthiest people are the most injured by slander, as is the best fruit which the birds have been pecking at.

Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired

No man will take counsel, but every man will take money. Therefore, money is better than counsel.

It is as hard to satirize well a man of distinguished vices, as to praise well a man of distinguished virtues.

If you were not reasoned into your beliefs, you cannot be reasoned out of them.

It is the talent of human nature to run from one extreme to another.

Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect.

When I am reading a book, whether wise or silly, it seems to me to be alive and talking to me.

And surely one of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid.

It often happens that, if a lie be believed only for an hour, it has done its work, and there is no further occasion for it.

You cannot reason a person out of something they were not reasoned into.

Positiveness is a good quality for preachers and speakers because, whoever shares his thoughts with the public will convince them as he himself appears convinced.

This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.

Wise people are never less alone than when they are alone.

Argument is the worst sort of conversation.

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Black women are the strongest most hardworking people on earth.

The silver and black may have another home, but the Raiders will always belong to the people of Los Angeles.

Instead of going to the gym, I dress in black – a lot more practical and much more fun.

Shades of black intertwined in my being I try to see in color but darkness is all I’m seeing.

I can adapt to any environment or any situation I need to, so I am ready to go to Russia. You take what you get or start crying about it, but I am re-doing ‘Rocky IV.’ I am doing the black ‘Rocky.’

As blacks, all we got is sports and entertainment. That’s the only way out the hood sometimes.

I believe every pencil has to be sharpened every now and then to stay sharp, or you dull out. So my records, I chose to speak on what black people do, what white people do, what women do, what men do.

I found my old diary tonight. A brokenness I had forgotten pen pressured so deep it punctured page. I ran my fingers over my words and there inside ridges black I found a little girl desperate for someone to save her, desperate for the very woman I have become.