The curse of man, and the cause of nearly all his woe, is his stupendous capacity for believing the incredible.

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.

I'll try a pagan friend, thought I, since Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy.

Learn, believe and achieve!

Eleven pages— this is a letter! Have courage. I'm going to stop.

I have always been a bit of an introvert. In fact, my dad used to force me to meet people so that my interpersonal skills improve. As an individual, I was happiest when left alone.

God is merciful to all, as he has been to you; he is first a father, then a judge.

I need the anesthetic qualities of the local fire water.

[On being told their loquacious, domineering host was 'outspoken':] By whom?

For the most part, biophiliacs,lovers of life, are found among simple people, without pretensions.

Everyone has the brainpower to make money in stocks. Not everyone has the stomach. If you are susceptible to selling everything in a panic, you ought to avoid stocks and mutual funds altogether.

To win that war [with radical Islamic extremists] we need a commander-in-chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern.