The safest principle through life, instead of reforming others, is to set about perfecting yourself.

Art is a reality, not a definition; inasmuch as it approaches a reality, it approaches perfection, and inasmuch as it approaches a mere definition, it is imperfect and untrue.

When a man is no longer anxious to do better than well, he is done for.

Temperance in everything is requisite for happiness.

There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil.

Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized.

Genius is nothing more than common faculties refined to a greater intensity. There are no astonishing ways of doing astonishing things. All astonishing things are done by ordinary materials.

Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence.

All government is an evil, but, of the two form's of that evil, democracy or monarchy, the sounder is monarchy; the more able to do its will, democracy.

The only legitimate artists in England are the architects.

It is highly convenient to believe in the infinite mercy of God when you feel the need of mercy, but remember also his infinite justice.

No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

I had to be an adult, be a father without a son, so for one last moment I needed to be a son who needed his mother.

It is not because things are difficult that we dare not undertake them. Be then bold in spirit. Indulge no doubts, for doubts are traitors.

The words marriage and divorce were always used together, like they went hand in hand together.

What if I could give you your life back; pluck out the pain; and give you a world of unimaginable beauty that would be for all time.

The Life of the intellect is the best and pleasantest for man, because the intellect more than anything else is the man. Thus it will be the happiest life as well.

I know I'm in the exceptional position of having money but I didn't have it for many decades.

I don't find any presidents all that sexy. They're not very rock'n'roll.

All my life I used to wonder what I would become when I grew up. Then, about seven years ago, I realized that I was never going to grow up--that growing is an ever ongoing process.

Faith becomes lame, when it ventures into matters pertaining to reason!