“A man ought not to value himself of his achievements or rare qualities of wit, much less of his riches, virtue or kindred.”

I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause.

A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends.

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.

The nation which indulges toward another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave.

Paper money has had the effect in your state that it will ever have, to ruin commerce, oppress the honest, and open the door to every species of fraud and injustice.

I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.

Man is the religious animal.

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it.

It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.

We have probably had too good an opinion of human nature in forming our confederation.

Things in life will not always run smoothly. Sometimes we will be rising toward the heights—then all will seem to reverse itself and start downward.

Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for ‘tis better to be alone than in bad company.

Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.

Make sure you are doing what God wants you to do – then do it with all your strength.

No punishment, in my opinion, is to great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country’s ruin.

Thoroughness characterizes all successful men. Genius is the art of taking infinite pains. All great achievement has been characterized by extreme care, infinite painstaking, even to the minutest detail.

No one has ever achieved anything from the smallest to the greatest unless the dream was dreamed first.

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.

If you fear making anyone mad, then you ultimately probe for the lowest common denominator of human achievement.

Go for the moon. If you don’t get it, you’ll still be heading for a star. Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of the creative effort.

Religious faith obscures uncertainty where uncertainty exists, allowing the unknown, the implausible, and the false to achieve primacy over the facts.

Your greatest achievement is to love me.

The greatest achievements are those that benefit others.