“For what level of mediocrity will you settle?”

For me, the martial arts is a search for something inside. It’s not just a physical discipline.

Immortality is to live your life doing good things, and leaving your mark behind.

There’s sort of a theory that’s going around in the China-watching community about a perfect storm coming up with the 2008 Olympics, a U.S. election and a Taiwanese election, some sort of mutually reinforcing explosion and crisis.

I’ve made six films since I made Secrets and Lies but I still live in London and I’d love to do theater.

My mother is very wise and intelligent. If I have children and can do half as good a job as she did in keeping me in line, I’ll be very happy.

Believe me, nothing is trivial.

Love It, is to increase by forgetting. It’s escape through a single being to mediocrity of all other. It’s one more for trying to be less.

If an historian be an unbeliever in all heroism, if he be a man who brings every thing down to the level of a common mediocrity, depend upon it, the truth is not found in such a writer.

Anyone in any walk of life who is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself and to American tradition.

Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

Life is one big tug of war between mediocrity and trying to find your best self.

Greatness pulls mediocrity into the mud. Get out there and get after it.

Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius.

Being realistic is the quickest path to mediocrity.