The most familiar and intimate habitudes, connections, friendships, require a degree of good-breeding both to preserve and cement them.

As fathers commonly go, it is seldom a misfortune to be fatherless; and considering the general run of sons, as seldom a misfortune to be childless.

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.

If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me.

Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise.

Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

You must look into people, as well as at them.

A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

I read old poems I wrote. They were all about you.

There isn't a soul on the planet who doesn't crave your approval.

He who draws noble delights from sentiments of poetry is a true poet, though he has never written a line in all his life.

Everyone knows almost everything about me. I make it very clear that I'm cool with people knowing all my personal life through my songs.

No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.

A half-starved limping government, always moving upon crutches and tottering at every step.

Abstract is not a style. I simply want to make a surface work. This is just a use of space and form: it's an ambivalence of forms and space.

To those who ask if I have read their book, I reply: I have not yet read Homer.

God,” I moaned. “Do they use that stuff as rocket fuel?” “No one made you keep drinking it.” “Hey, don’t get preachy. Besides, I had to be polite.” “Sure,” she said.

The thing about tennis is if you stay off for two weeks, or just for three days, you can lose your rhythm quickly. So it's just a question of constant diligence and vigilance.