“If some great catastrophe is not announced every morning, we feel a certain void. Nothing in the paper today, we sigh.”

Far from being the product of a democratic revolution and of an opposition to English institutions, the constitution of the United States was the result of a powerful reaction against democracy, and in favor of the traditions of the mother country.

The test of liberty is the position and security of minorities.

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought.

Great men are almost always bad men.

False principles, which correspond with the bad as well as with the just aspirations of mankind, are a normal and necessary element in the social life of nations.

There are many things the government cant do, many good purposes it must renounce. It must leave them to the enterprise of others. It cannot feed the people. It cannot enrich the people. It cannot teach the people. It cannot convert the people.

Moral precepts are constant through the ages and not obedient to circumstances.

There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion.

The finest opportunity ever given to the world was thrown away because the passion of equality made vain the hope for freedom.

A convinced man differs from a prejudiced man as an honest man from a liar.

I have reached the end of my time, and have hardly come to the beginning of my task.

Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together.

Progress, the religion of those who have none.

Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.

For centuries it was never discovered that education was a function of the State, and the State never attempted to educate.

Responsibilities have the power to save you from depression & anxiety.

Stop rushing and fill yourself with anxiety.

When the anxiety of loneliness is at its peak, it is important to keep the fire burning, and remember that we are all in this together.

Anxiety, the illness of our time, comes primarily from our inability to dwell in the present moment.

Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.

During a time of deep uncertainty and anxiety – when many of us have struggled to be our best selves all of the time – apologizing has never been more important.⁣

A priest once quoted to me the Roman saying that a religion is dead when the priests laugh at each other across the altar. I always laugh at the altar, be it Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist, because real religion is the transformation of anxiety into laughter.

Fear is a habit, so is self pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and resignation. You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves: I can and I will.