All that passes for knowledge can be arranged in a hierarchy of degrees of certainty, with arithmetic and the facts of perception at the top.

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.

An Honest politician will not be tolerated by a democracy unless he is very stupid ... because only a very stupid man can honestly share the prejudices of more than half the nation.

If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.

We have in fact, two kinds of morality, side by side: one which we preach, but do not practice, and another which we practice, but seldom preach.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd.

Cruel men believe in a cruel god and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly god, and they would be kindly in any case.

Like a consolation prize, the broken heart is often granted wisdom.

You have to finish things — that’s what you learn from, you learn by finishing things.

What I've learned about marriage: You need to have each other's back you have to be a kind of team going through life.

My relationship with money is that it's a tool to be self-sufficient, but it's not something that is a part of who I am.

I'm from the Vietnam generation. I didn't serve.

That's kind of creepy.

If I could steal someone's dream myself, I'd have to go for one of Orson Welles.

I knew already when I was seven years old, that I wanted to be on stage and entertain people. I sell laughs. Here, you got one for free!

Hope provides comfort, and hope does not always require probability.

Carlsen will be ridiculously difficult to play against. (on the 2013 World Championship match)