The principle of happiness should be like the principle of virtue: it should not be dependent of things, but be a part of personality [and character].

The happiest people in this world are those who have the most interesting thoughts.

A bibliophile of little means is likely to suffer often. Books don't slip from his hands but fly past him through the air, high as birds, high as prices.

The highest happiness on earth is the happiness of marriage.

I believe a knowledge of the Bible without a college course is more valuable than a college course without a Bible.

In the whole story of Jesus Christ, the most important event is the resurrection.

I divide all readers into two classes: those who read to remember and those who read to forget.

The belief that youth is the happiest time of life is founded on fallacy. The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts, and we grow happier as we grow older.

One of the secrets of life is to keep our intellectual curiosity acute.

If happiness truly consisted in physical ease and freedom from care the happiest, individual would not be either a man or a woman it; it would be, I think a cow.

To a man the greatest blessing is individual liberty; to a dog it is the last word in despair.

It's sour grapes, I admit, I want to be more famous so people are examining my work couplet by couplet, you know what I mean? That's the level where I want to go.

I was born with a romantic nature, and I'll carry it to my grave.

I believe there's something in the Bible about 'Thou shalt not call anyone insane who owns and is competent with more firearms than you own sharp sticks.'

I won't go back on my decision. I'm not afraid of prison, but there are even worse dangers.

Very likely education does not make very much difference.

If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.

Most politicians believe in just one thing - winning elections. They'll say anything to get in office and stay there.

Don't put anything into a story that does not reveal character or advance the action.

An ardent lover often makes a cold friend.

My mother taught me to walk proud and tall 'as if the world was mine.'