It is, indeed, one of the capital tragedies of youth-and youth is the time of real tragedy-that the young are thrown mainly with adults they do not quite respect.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

Morality is doing what is right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.

Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses.

As soon as anger knocks at one’s door, wisdom prepares to leave.

You have three types of friends in life: Friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime.

It feels as though it were just yesterday Grandfather exited my life like a bullet, leaving a bleeding hole behind.

Each friend represents a world in us.

Expelled from individual consciousness by the rush of change, history finds its revenge by stamping the collective unconsciousness with habits and values.

Novelists should never allow themselves to weary of the study of real life.

I'm never at my worst because even at my lowest, its a learning experience. It's something that I'll bounce ideas off. I can take negatives and flip them to positives at all times.

It's a big world. Don't get trapped by tiny dreams and feeble problems. Time for big prayers and bold faith.

Those who do not know must be taught, not punished. We do not hit the blind. We lead them by the hand.

I will not be responsible for the loss of the Democratic majority in the United States Senate.