“It is not wisdom but authority that makes a Law.”

Desire, to know why, and how, curiosity; such as is in no living creature but man

If I read as many books as most men do, I would be as dull-witted as they are.

Words are the counters of wise men, and the money of fools.

The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.

Fact be virtuous, or vicious, as Fortune pleaseth.

Eloquence, with flattery, disposeth men to confide in them that have it; because the former is seeming wisdom, the latter seeming kindness.

No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

The understanding is by the flame of the passions never enlightened, but dazzled.

Look not at the greatness of the evil past, but the greatness of the good to follow.

Men are moved by appetites and aversions.

True’ and ‘false’ are attributes of speech, not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither ‘truth’ nor ‘falsehood.

Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man, the same consequent to the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withal.

I often observe the absurdity of dreams, but never dream of the absurdity of my waking thoughts.

Leisure is the mother of Philosophy.

If men are naturally in a state of war, why do they always carry arms and why do they have keys to lock their doors?

In the very shadows of doubt a thread of reason (so to speak) begins, by whose guidance we shall escape to the clearest light.

You can never give complete authority and overall power to anyone until trust can be proven.

Remain humble. Don’t worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.

Authority, power, and wealth do not change a man; they only reveal him

Religion, social status, and property are all sources of power and authority which one man has, to control the liberty of another.

I think I’m a natural-born leader. I know how to bow down to authority if it’s authority that I respect.

Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way.

Obama is a statist. He’s an authoritarian. He doesn’t want to govern; he wants to rule.

The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.