I have often thought that the nature of women was interior to that of men in general, but superior in particular.

Good-humor is allied to generosity, ill-humor to meanness.

Good-humor will sometimes conquer ill-humor, but ill-humor will conquer it oftener; and for this plain reason, good-humor must operate on generosity, ill-humor on meanness.

Despair gives the shocking ease to the mind that a mortification gives to the body.

Discernment is a power of the understanding in which few excel. Is not that owing to its connection with impartiality and truth? for are not prejudice and partiality blind?

To divest one's self of some prejudices would be like taking off the skin to feel the better.

Avarice starves its possessor to fatten those who come after, and who are eagerly awaiting the demise of the accumulator.

Envy is but the smoke of low estate, Ascending still against the fortunate.

Our companions please us less from the charms we find in their conversation than from those they find in ours.

What an argument in favor of social connections is the observation that by communicating our grief we have less, and by communicating our pleasure we have more.

A lively and agreeable man has not only the merit of liveliness and agreeableness himself, but that also of awakening them in others.

It is not something we often find out

I was a peripheral visionary. I could see the future, but only way off to the side.

Effective communication is the best way to solve problems.

You will make a difference in the world, but not immediately. Your first obligation is to find something you like doing, because if you like doing it, you'll do it well.

Life is this great big blackboard, and on it you write all the things that you do.

Fonda and Gary Cooper had the best sense of timing of all the actors I knew.

I like the idea that when a guy comes over to the house, I get to say I wrote the book.

Then you'd better listen, because me sounding like Bronte is one of the signs of the apocalypse-and if the end fo the world is coming, good deeds could earn you Judgment day brownie points.

My message to little kids who aspire to be anything they want to be is to listen to their parents.

The last thing you want is an injured actor. That, or having to use a stuntman too much.