“The more able a man is, if he make ill use of his abilities, the more dangerous will he be to the commonwealth.”

The readiest and surest way to get rid of censure, is to correct ourselves.

To remind a man of the good turns you have done him is very much like a reproach.

The best protection for the people is not necessarily to believe everything people tell them.

What a man wishes, he will believe.

Whatever shall be to the advantage of all, may that prevail!

There is a great deal of wishful thinking in such cases it is the easiest thing of all to deceive ones self.

Every advantage in the past is judged in the light of the final issue.

Small opportunities often presage great enterprises.

One believes in what one wants to believe in.

Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.

He who confers a favor should at once forget it, if he is not to show a sordid ungenerous spirit. To remind a man of a kindness conferred and to talk of it, is little different from reproach.

Good fortune is the greatest of blessings, but good counsel comes next, and the lack of it destroys the other also.

Everything great is not always good, but all good things, are great.

It is the natural disposition of all men to listen with pleasure to abuse and slander of their neighbour, and to hear with impatience those who utter praises of themselves.

Nothing is more easy than to deceive one’s self, as our affections are subtle persuaders.

It is impossible for men engaged in low and groveling pursuits to have noble and generous sentiments. A man’s thought must always follow his employment.

Solitude is dangerous. It’s very addictive.

I have, indeed, no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect – in terror.

The money can be a hindrance to someone like me because the danger is that you start thinking, ‘Is that a $20 million take?’ That kind of thing, and being self-critical.

When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.

The danger with mentioning names is that you hurt the feelings of people that you leave out.

Knowledge itself is never dangerous, it is how that knowledge is used that is dangerous.

Knowledge itself is never dangerous, it is how that knowledge is used that is dangerous.

Faith can be very very dangerous, and deliberately to implant it into the vulnerable mind of an innocent child is a grievous wrong.