“When once the forms of civility are violated, there remains little hope of return to kindness or decency.”

Books like friends, should be few and well-chosen.

Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.

Sorrow is the mere rust of the soul. Activity will cleanse and brighten it.

There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power and the other at independence.

A man who both spends and saves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments.

The Irish are a fair people: They never speak well of one another.

Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties.

Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven’t courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

The superiority of some men is merely local. They are great because their associates are little.

Each person’s work is always a portrait of himself.

You can never be wise unless you love reading.

Whatever enlarges hope will also exalt courage.

A man’s mind grows narrow in a narrow place.

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.

The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it.

Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through.

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.

Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you As yet but knock; breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

The scent of rain is just as much as an illusion as your love.

And I cant deny – you’re the lesson I’m willing to love in this life.

On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.

Somedays depression is tender, as though hurting is just an art; and that maybe she didn’t break me more than enough!

One who never turned his back but marched breast forward, never doubted clouds would break, Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph, Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, sleep to wake.