Principles have a way of yielding to power.

you must not use wood to put out the fire.

If mortals wait until the gods remake the world to their liking to be happy, they are already in hell.

prophecies do not alter fate, only confirm it.

The young see what they wish to see. The old see what they do not wish.

to ask for anything of consequence from friends who cannot refuse is uncivilized.

Like most Chinese, I am basically a fatalist - too sophisticated for religion and too superstitious to deny the gods.

A secret, like a chore, always seems to lead to another, one even more troublesome than the first.

What harm is there in dreaming, if it eases pain? What good is reality, if it blots out hope? Can a man's mind be washed without bleaching his soul?

Now, public libraries are most admirable institutions, but they have one irritating custom. They want their books back.

What power has love but forgiveness?In other wordsby its interventionwhat has been donecan be undone.What good is it otherwise?

The price of being a sheep is boredom. The price of being a wolf is loneliness. Choose one or the other with great care.

The sad events that occur in my life are the sad events that happen to everybody, with losing friends and family, but that is a natural occurrence, as natural as being born.

I always thought I could coach. I just thought people were poor judges of good coaches.

Why lower oneself to taking pride from being American or British, when you can boast of being man!

Actors can't retire. What would they do?

Older people are most beautiful when they have what is lacking in the young: poise, erudition, wisdom, phronesis, and this post-heroic absence of agitation.

Let us overthrow the totems, break the taboos. Or better, let us consider them cancelled. Coldly, let us be intelligent.

Love your skin, give oil a go.