The best evidence of merit is a cordial recognition of it whenever and wherever it may be found.

False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine, but leaving us the instant we cross into the shade.

Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.

Our first and last love is self-love.

The scope of an intellect is not to be measured with a tape-string, or a character deciphered from the shape or length of a nose.

It is the passion that is in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it.

We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.

The opinions of the misanthropical rest upon this very partial basis, that they adopt the bad faith of a few as evidence of the worthlessness of all.

The lively and mercurial are as open books, with the leaves turned down at the notable passages. Their souls sit at the windows of their eyes, seeing and to be seen.

Tears are nature's lotion for the eyes. The eyes see better for being washed by them.

The passions are like fire, useful in a thousand ways and dangerous only in one, through their excess.

All the words I had prepared turned coward and fled my mind like conscripts deserting a battlefield.

The task of the real intellectual consists of analyzing illusions in order to discover their causes.

When you're playing a romantic version of a real person, you're playing a version of the truth.

I like working with the public, I like working with food, and I like making cash.

In friendship similarity of character has more weight than kinship.

The idea that the universe is running down comes from a simple observation about machines. Every machine consumes more energy than it renders.

Our intuitions, as humans, aren't always very good. Changes that happen really suddenly, on the strength of the most minor of input, can be deeply confusing.

Speaking of WAMU, [bluegrass and old time music DJ] Ray Davis did a lot of work there. I've know Ray, I guess for 50 years - 40, or 50 years. And, he plays a lot of my records.

A lot of people think a high armhole is restrictive, but it gives you total movement because it's cut right up to your arm.