Great Ambition, unchecked by principle, or the love of Glory, is an unruly Tyrant.

People sometimes attribute my success to my genius; all the genius I know anything about is hard work.

Give all the power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, they will oppress the many.

When a government betrays the people by amassing too much power and becoming tyrannical, the people have no choice but to exercise their original right of self-defense — to fight the government.

One great error is that we suppose mankind more honest than they are.

I think the first duty of society is justice.

There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.

Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike.

A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.

Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence.

It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government.

Never judge a work of art by its defects

Your soul sings to mine. My soul is yours, and it always will be, in any world.

Man’s mind is a coast of great monuments, the source of wild and complex dreams and accomplishments that physical eyes have not seen.

Treasures are no longer to be got by instrumental art.

The way of loving kindness is what is to be accepted. Love! The benefit is clear. Rage, hate are the way of chaos and darkness - to be rejected.

I live in a one bedroom apartment by myself which is cool. I like to have my stuff exactly where I want it, so living alone is good for me.

There is a great temptation with songs, melodies and lyrics to overcomplicate them but in fact, you find that the most enduring melodies are often the simplest.

My mother opened a bank account for me when I made $60 on my first day of work as an extra. She's that kind of mother.

But the rhythm of the mix tape is the rhythm of romance, the analog hum of a physical connection between two sloppy, human bodies.

If there's one thing I discovered since I came back from hiatus, it's that you can't go backwards.