“The cause of all these evils was the lust for power arising from greed and ambition; and from these passions proceeded the violence of parties once engaged in contention.”

Wars spring from unseen and generally insignificant causes, the first outbreak being often but an explosion of anger.

Love of power, operating through greed and through personal ambition, was the cause of all these evils.

The secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage.

It is useless to attack men who could not be controlled even if conquered, while failure would leave us in an even worse position.

We Greeks believe that a man who takes no part in public affairs is not merely lazy, but good for nothing.

knowing the secret of happiness to be freedom, and the secret of freedom a brave heart, not idly to stand aside from the enemy’s onset.

For so remarkably perverse is the nature of man that he despises whoever courts him, and admires whoever will not bend before him.

Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.

Those who really deserve praise are the people who, while human enough to enjoy power, nevertheless pay more attention to justice than they are compelled to do by their situation.

Hope is an expensive commodity. It makes better sense to be prepared.

What made the war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta.

Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

You shouldn’t feel sorry for the lifestyle you haven’t tasted, but for the one you are about to lose.

Concessions to adversaries only end in self reproach, and the more strictly they are avoided the greater will be the chance of security.

Three of the gravest failings, want of sense, of courage, or of vigilance.

Amassing of wealth is an opportunity for good deeds, not hubris.

Big dreams turn into big things.

Anyone can be an entrepreneur. All it takes is a little drive and ambition.

At least eighty percent of millionaires are self-made. That is, they started with nothing but ambition and energy, the same way most of us start.

Comfort kills ambition. Get uncomfortable and get used to it in your pursuit of your goals and dreams.

Time is the only critic without ambition.

Who, like ambition, lures men to their ruin.

Let work itself be the ambition.

We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.