“there is no independence and pertinacity of opinion like that of these seemingly soft, quiet creatures, whom it is so easy to silence, and so difficult to convince.”

One part of the science of living is to learn just what our own responsibility is, and to let other people’s alone.

Friendships are discovered rather than made.

There are in this world two kinds of natures, – those that have wings, and those that have feet, – the winged and the walking spirits. The walking are the logicians; the winged are the instinctive and poetic.

It isn’t mere love and good-will that is needed in a sick-room; it needs knowledge and experience.

Let us never doubt everything that ought to happen is going to happen.

No ornament of a house can compare with books; they are constant company in a room, even when you are not reading them.

Intemperance in eating is one of the most fruitful of all causes of disease and death.

General rules will bear hard on particular cases.

Let us resolve: First, to attain the grace of silence; second, to deem all fault finding that does no good a sin; third, to practice the grade and virtue of praise.

There is more done with pens than with swords.

People who hate trouble generally get a good deal of it.

When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn’t hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that ‘s just the place and time that the tide’ll turn.

Common sense is seeing things as they are; and doing things as they ought to be.

O, ye who visit the distressed, do ye know that everything your money can buy, given with a cold, averted face, is not worth one honest tear shed in real sympathy?

The truth is the kindest thing we can give folks in the end.

So subtle is the atmosphere of opinion that it will make itself felt without words.

Be strong in who you are and, don’t let the actions of another convince you that you are not good enough.

My view of life is, that it’s next to impossible to convince anybody of anything.

The older I get, the more convinced I am that the space between people who are trying their best to understand each other is hallowed ground.

A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets tough.

None believes in his own death. In the unconscious everyone is convinced of his own immortality.

In the depths of my heart I can’t help being convinced that my dear fellow-men, with a few exceptions, are worthless.

Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.