“Rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore.”

No man, not even a doctor, ever gives any other definition of what a nurse should be than this-‘devoted and obedient.’ This definition would do just as well for a porter. It might even do for a horse. It would not do for a policeman.

Averages seduce us away from minute observation.

The time is come when women must do something more than the “domestic hearth,” which means nursing the infants, keeping a pretty house, having a good dinner and an entertaining party.

I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.

No woman has excited “passions” among women more than I have. Yet I leave no school behind me.

In a sick-room or a bed-room there should never be shutters shut.

Religion was important to me. My family and I were very religious. I acctualy believe the work I did was a calling from God himself.

A human being does not cease to exist at death. It is change, not destruction, which takes place.

Apprehension, uncertainty, waiting, expectation, fear of surprise, do a patient more harm than any exertion.

Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backwards.

Never to allow a patient to be waked, intentionally or accidentally, is a sine qua non of all good nursing.

Never give nor take an excuse.

It is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick that, second only to their need of fresh air, is their need of light; that, after a close room, what hurts them most is a dark room and that it is not only light but direct sunlight they want.

Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head (not, how can I always do this right thing myself, but) how can I provide for this right thing to be always done?

The specific disease doctrine is the grand refuge of weak, uncultured, unstable minds, such as now rule in the medical profession. There are no specific diseases; there are specific disease conditions.

Our first journey is to find that special place for us.

There doesn’t seem to be any other way of creating the next green revolution without GMOs.

I think it’s counterproductive in many ways to pretend to know things you don’t.

No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity.

In each soul, God loves and partly saves the whole world which that soul sums up in an incommunicable and particular way.

In a way, the whole tangible universe itself is a vast residue, a skeleton of countless lives that have germinated in it and have left it, leaving behind them only a trifling, infinitesimal part of their riches.

I grew up being into sports and I wasn’t trained to move my body in the right way for dancing.

My last race was at Le Mans in 2000, my first race was in 1959, so I dodged a lot of bullets along the way, I can tell you that.

I don’t know if I believe in love at first sight, but of course I believe in two people having chemistry right away.