The philosopher ought never to try to avoid the duty of making up his mind.

Not to engage in this pursuit of ideas is to live like ants instead of like men.

All genuine learning is active, not passive. It involves the use of the mind, not just the memory. It is a process of discovery, in which the student is the main agent, not the teacher.

Erotic or sexual love can truly be love if it is not selfishly sexual or lustful.

Freedom is the emancipation from the arbitrary rule of other men.

One of the embarrassing problems for the early nineteenth-century champions of the Christian faith was that not one of the first six Presidents of the United States was an orthodox Christian.

More consequences for thought and action follow the affirmation or denial of God than from answering any other basic question.

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you.

A good book can teach you about the world and about yourself. You learn more than how to read better; you also learn more about life. You become wiser.

To agree without understanding is inane. To disagree without understanding is impudent.

The ultimate end of education is happiness or a good human life, a life enriched by the possession of every kind of good, by the enjoyment of every type of satisfaction.

Never ponder to give today all that you have, if you hope for tomorrow to give you all that you need.

As with all travel, replacing familiar surroundings with the unknown fires an electric charge that awakens a sense of adventure.

We are as much informed of a writer's genius by what he selects as by what he originates.

It is a blessing to have pretty people around me. I like people who are sparky, positive. Evil, dark people are repelled by me: 'Oooh no! Too much sunlight.'

She walked in the shadow of Rango with a great feeling of being taken out of herself, of having no knowledge of what was happening to her, merely a pervading sense of flow.

It [Calvinism] established a religion without a prelate, a government without a king.

Yale men do not like to be told anything by people who didn't go to Yale. The closest I came to Yale was once I had one of their padlocks.

Water a farre off quencheth not fire.

I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he to whom that is given need ask no more.

My inspirations come from everywhere. It's important to look at everything and anything.