The democratic idealist is prone to make light of the whole question of standards and leadership because of his unbounded faith in the plain people.

Anyone who thus looks up has some chance of becoming worthy to be looked up to in turn.

For behind all imperialism is ultimately the imperialistic individual, just as behind all peace is ultimately the peaceful individual.

The humanities need to be defended today against the encroachments of physical science, as they once needed to be against the encroachment of theology.

Furthermore, America suffers not only from a lack of standards, but also not infrequently from a confusion or an inversion of standards.

The industrial revolution has tended to produce everywhere great urban masses that seem to be increasingly careless of ethical standards.

Democracy is now going forth on a crusade against imperialism.

The humanitarian lays stress almost solely upon breadth of knowledge and sympathy.

If a man went simply by what he saw, he might be tempted to affirm that the essence of democracy is melodrama.

We must not, however, be like the leaders of the great romantic revolt who, in their eagerness to get rid of the husk of convention, disregarded also the humane aspiration.

A man needs to look, not down, but up to standards set so much above his ordinary self as to make him feel that he is himself spiritually the underdog.

We are all dead, we just haven't figured it out yet.

People were saying that Southern folk song was dead, that the land that had produced American jazz, the blues, the spirituals, the mountain ballads and the work songs had gone sterile.

Every moment a gift: are you unwrapping yours now, and now, and now?

The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.

People may or may not say what they mean... but they always say something designed to get what they want.

I have learnt a lot about my body since my heart attack. I don't drink as much now as before.

What's the point of havin' a rapier wit if I can't use it to stab people.

Death is the great adventure beside which moon landings and space trips pale in insignificance.

AT&T to wed T-Mobile. Following the ceremony there will be no reception.