It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.

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.

Flawed genius is better than flawless talent.

There is no memory with less satisfaction than the memory of some temptation we resisted.

We are now able to create virtual realities on computers. Are we all living in one created by someone in the future?

What a quality of innocence people have when they don't expect to be harmed.

Nos are just as valuable as yeses in the game of life. In fact, they're essential.

Every species, human and subhuman, has some distinguishing mark, so that you can tell a man from a beast, or a dog from a cow.

A man's life is what his thoughts make of it.

My life really has been one long extravaganza.

The distracting feeling of disbelief when you're finally doing something you've procrastinated on for notable amounts of time.

Always look out for the little notes˘like minorities.