It is clear that the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.

Heroism is endurance for one moment more.

World communism is like [a] malignant parasite which feeds on diseased tissue

The nuclear bomb is the most useless weapon ever invented. It can be employed to no rational purpose. It is not even an effective defense against itself.

Instruments of coercion, once created, have a tendency to find their own natural masters.

There is more respect to be won in the opinion of this world by a resolute and courageous liquidation of unsound positions than by the most stubborn pursuit of extravagant or unpromising objectives.

The United States should not jump around like an elephant frightened by a mouse.

A political society does not live to conduct foreign policy; it would be more correct to say that it conducts foreign policy in order to live.

War is a highly overrated tool of foreign policy.

The Russian leaders are keen judges of human psychology, and as such they are highly conscious that loss of temper and of self-control is never a source of strength in political affairs.

Popular revolt against a ruthless, experienced modern dictatorship, which enjoys a monopoly over weapons and communications, ... is simply not a possibility in the modern age.

New York's perennial attraction was shopping.

Humility is the proper attitude towards all true greatness, including one's own greatness as a human being, but above all towards the greatness which is not oneself, which is beyond one's self

When we function from a fearful, low-level energetic state, our thoughts and energy can literally pollute the world.

I've always said I don't believe in God, I believe in Al Pacino.

"Great guys" can make great husbands.

If I don't fool you, I'm not doing my job as a magician. If I make you feel foolish, I'm not doing my job as a human being.

Music is a permanent art, it will always go through phases where you like it and are in tune with it, but saying that music "got bad" is infantile. The same is true with your life.

I do just love the characters in sci-fi, but not necessarily the fact that it's sci-fi.

I'm a writer as rarely as possible, when forced by an idea too lovely to let die unwritten

Grace is the most dangerous, expectation-wre cking, smile-creating, counterintuitiv e reality there is.