“Lawyers have to make a living, and can only do so by inducing people to believe that a straight line is crooked.”

Nature is man’s teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence.

For me writing biographies is impossible, unless they are brief and concise, and these are, I feel, the most eloquent.

One can state, without exaggeration, that the observation of and the search for similarities and differences are the basis of all human knowledge.

It is not sufficient to be worthy of respect in order to be respected.

I am a misanthrope and yet utterly benevolent, have more than one screw loose yet am a super-idealist who digests philosophy more efficiently than food.

It is my express wish that in awarding the [Nobel Prizes] no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not.

A heart can no more be forced to love than a stomach can be forced to digest food by persuasion.

The truthful man is usually a liar.

Good wishes alone will not ensure peace.

My home is where I work, and I work everywhere.

For my part, I wish all guns with their belongings and everything could be sent to hell, which is the proper place for their exhibition and use.

I would not leave anything to a man of action as he would be tempted to give up work; on the other hand, I would like to help dreamers as they find it difficult to get on in life.

I am not aware that I have deserved any notoriey, and I have no taste for its buzz.

Hope is nature’s veil for hiding truth’s nakedness.

Perhaps my dynamite plants will put an end to war sooner than your [pacifist] congresses. On the day two army corps can annihilate each other in one second all civilized nations will recoil from war in horror.

Justice is to be found only in the imagination.

The past was great no doubt, but I sincerely believe that the future will be more glorious still.

I’ve always believed that a person is smart. It’s people that are stupid.

I don’t believe in life after death. But I do believe in some grinding destiny that watches over us on earth. If I didn’t, the safety valve would give and the boiler would explode.

When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little earlier, but they give up their imagination, their creativity, their will to work hard and to suffer for what they believe is right.

I’m an American for marriage equality. I believe that love comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. So whether you’re LGBT or straight, your love is valid, beautiful, and an incredible gift.

I believe that I definitely wasn’t given this voice just to sing. I think it was given to me for a bigger purpose.

If I could turn back time, I would tell myself that I’m beautiful every day, because we all are! And we need to start believing it!

The Lord opened the understanding of my unbelieving heart, so that I should recall my sins.