An opera may be allowed to be extravagantly lavish in its decorations, as its only design is to gratify the senses and keep up an indolent attention in the audience.

The greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship.

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.

I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.

If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.

No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you.

The voice of reason is more to be regarded than the bent of any present inclination; since inclination will at length come over to reason, though we can never force reason to comply with inclination.

Ridicule is generally made use of to laugh men out of virtue and good sense, by attacking everything praiseworthy in human life.

Love isn't always a physical emotion. Sometimes it's the ones who never got to actually hold you in their arms that appreciate you for who you are

We build our understanding of the emotional world through the myths and legends of our culture. We are all, in part, made of fairy tales.

He who surpasses or subdues mankind must look down on the hate of those below.

Someone who seeks the Way doesn't look beyond himself.

If I give you my idea and you give me yours, then we each have two ideas, and together we have four.

I still feel like I gotta prove something. There are a lot of people hoping I fail. But I like that. I need to be hated.

There is no time to waste. We must either unite now or perish.

Love in my heart is a cry forever Lost as the swallow's flight, Seeking for you and never, never Stilled by the stars at night

So while it seemed like you were seeing everything, you really weren't. Just bits and pieces that looked like a whole.

[I've worked as a guard at Rikers Island] from 1988 to 1990.