Aside from a cold appreciation of my own genius I felt that I was a modest man.

If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.

I never learned from a man who agreed with me.

A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future.

Don't ever become a pessimist... a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events.

May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live.

It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.

If you have to think about it twice you probably shouldn't do it

Einstein was once asked how many feet are in a mile. Einstein's reply was "I don't know, why should I fill my brain with facts I can find in two minutes in any standard reference book?

It's not about breaking down borders. It's about pushing off of them, and seeing what amazing places they might bring us.

So much talent comes from the base of poverty and those in the margins. You limit the base, you miss too much talent.

Even if I live not in a big city, even if I detest to go to parties, I love street fairs and long conversations with people in the countryside.

There’s no way I’m going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country.

I don't think about people watching me on TV. I think it would stress me out.

An angry skipper makes an unhappy crew.

I see no reason not to write whatever comes to me.

You can be denounced from the heavens, and it only makes people interested.