Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all.

The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his education.

Men of integrity, by their very existence, rekindle the belief that as a people we can live above the level of moral squalor. We need that belief; a cynical community is a corrupt community.

Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.

True happiness involves the full use of one's power and talents.

Some people strengthen the society just by being the kind of people they are.

History never looks like history when you are living through it. It always looks confusing and messy, and it always feels uncomfortable.

The cynic says, "One man can't do anything". I say, "Only one man can do anything."

If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are.

Creativity requires the freedom to consider unthinkable alternatives, to doubt the worth of cherished practices.

If I bad mouth the Truth, and nothing but the Absolute Truth, then, kick my butt. Otherwise, ye of bad faith, keep your stupid trap shut.

...I found my eyes repelled by hers as if they were the like poles of a pair of magnets.

Maturity is only a short break in adolescence.

Not let the child run the circus, just have that child be the source of the creative voice.

I would call myself more spiritual than religious.

We have to fight off the demons that have been hanging around suicide for centuries.

I was able to work out all sorts of attitudes to style and event and character, all of which affected the way I came to think about my own writing. I believe that all good writers are original.

Insight occurs just because it is high time.

To use bitter words, when kind words are at hand, Is like picking unripe fruit when the ripe fruit is there.

I don't know whether anyone will care to examine my heart, but if they do, they will find two words there- 'social justice.' For that is what I have believed in and fought for.