Habits in writing as in life are only useful if they are broken as soon as they cease to be advantageous.

Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it.

We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.

If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom; and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too.

The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.

The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.

It is dangerous to let the public behind the scenes. They are easily disillusioned and then they are angry with you, for it was the illusion they loved.

The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.

Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.

I would more appropriately define mastery as the technical ability possible within the constraints of your particular existence.

[As a young man ] I came to the conclusion that the church was just a bunch of fascists that supported Franco. I stopped going on Sunday mornings and watched the birds with my father instead.

Our life is a one way journey

The chicken is the country's, but the city eats it.

There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy.

I don't think anyone really knows the purpose of their existence.

The main cause of poverty or financial struggle is fear and ignorance, not the economy or the government or the rich.

Once made a mistake, it won't happen again.

Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.

I wanted to show I had balls at age 60.