Assurance and intrepidity, under the white banner of seeming modesty, clear the way for merit, that would otherwise be discouraged by difficulties...

As fathers commonly go, it is seldom a misfortune to be fatherless; and considering the general run of sons, as seldom a misfortune to be childless.

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.

If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me.

Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise.

Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

You must look into people, as well as at them.

A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Hope is not a feeling of certainty that everything ends well. Hope is just a feeling that life and work have a meaning.

Don't go looking for worry. It finds you on its own.

You can't outsmart or outguess the audience in terms of what the narrative answer is.

I've been very careful. I've gone through pretty much everything. I'm very careful not to let go of the prized possessions, or too much of it that I'll regret in the future.

I have friends who vote Tory, and I'm appalled, but that's not to say they're not great people in so many other ways.

I have certain strong interests that fill my life as well

One good thing about the past is that you can't change it. So there's no reason to go back. It's there. It is what it is. The only thing you can change is right now and what's happening next.

Never buy a thing you don't want merely because it is dear.

I did this movie about Salvador Dali a few years ago and had hair extensions and a little bob. That was incredibly bizarre.

We are surrounded by poetry on all sides.