Every failure is a step to success. Every detection of what is false directs us towards what is true: every trial exhausts some tempting form of error.

Hence no force, however great, can stretch a cord, however fine, into a horizontal line which is accurately straight: there will always be a bending downwards.

We cannot observe external things without some degree of Thought; nor can we reflect upon our Thoughts, without being influenced in the course of our reflection by the Things which we have observed.

The hypotheses we accept ought to explain phenomena which we have observed. But they ought to do more than this: our hypotheses ought to foretell phenomena which have not yet been observed.

Those who have obtained the farthest insight into Nature have been, in all ages, firm believers in God.

The catastrophist constructs theories, the uniformitarian demolishes them.

It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.

In art, truth is a means to an end; in science, it is the only end.

There is a mask of theory over the whole face of nature.

Every man has obligations which belong to his station. Duties extend beyond obligations, and direct the affections, desires, and intentions, as well as the actions.

Prudence supposes the value of the end to be assumed, and refers only to the adaptation of the means. It is the relation of right means for given ends.

A woman who writes has power, and a woman with power is feared.

Those are the facts but not the truth, which does not even speak the same language.

If your partner wants to be private, you have to respect that.

I keep a conscience uncorrupted by religion, a judgment undimmed by politics and patriotism, a heart untainted by friendships and sentiments unsoured by animosities.

We have arguments [with my father] and we had a lot of arguments in the years when I was at Michigan.

When people start serving together, they forgot about all their stress, [...] all their own problems. They start focusing on someone else's.

I want a thousand guitars . . .

We always tend to distrust geniuses about genius, as if what they say didn't arouse much empathy in us, or as if we were waiting till some more reliable source of information came along...

The thought came to me that all one loves in art becomes beautiful. Beauty is nothing but the expression of the fact that something is being loved. Only thus could she be defined.

I can walk around fine, but I don't have a desk job.