Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.

The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.

I desire to go to Hell and not to Heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks and apostles

Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.

A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.

Men are so stupid and concerned with their present needs, they will always let themselves be deceived.

It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to enslave a people that wants to remain free.

Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.

A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance.

Power is the pivot on which everything hinges. He who has the power is always right; the weaker is always wrong.

it is better to act and repent than not to act and regret.

In the meantime, there is not an hour to lose. I am about to visit the public library.

so many people concentrate on looks, but the invisible is sacred

We rarely improve our habits and traits while floating on the placid pool of ease and comfort.

They don't want to see rap music. They don't want to see the Beastie Boys. They don't care what we're doing. They want one thing and one thing only: that's to see Madonna come on stage.

My sister-in-law believes that few narratives are so tightly constructed that you can't skip boring bits and still keep abreast of what's going on.

Only in a novel are all things given full play.

Some of the ideas that come from the fringe of the far right are just so implausible that it is hard to take those ideas seriously.

We are all beggars, each in his own way.

A stranger, if just, is not only to be preferred before a countryman, but a kinsman.

I was bullied a lot in middle school, and my bullies have since all apologized.