The western spirit is, or will yet be (for no other is, or can be) the true American one.

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.

A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities.

I am, as I am; whether hideous, or handsome, depends upon who is made judge.

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed.

Dream tonight of peacock tails, Diamond fields and spouter whales. Ills are many, blessing few, But dreams tonight will shelter you.

Toil is man's allotment; toil of brain, or toil of hands, or a grief that's more than either, the grief and sin of idleness.

Meditation and water are wedded for ever.

I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts.

Aye, aye! and I'll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before I give him up.

War should be carried on like a monsoon; one changeless determination of every particle towards the one unalterable aim.

Even the knowledge of my own fallibility cannot keep me from making mistakes. Only when I fall do I get up again.

If you are surprised at the number of our maladies count our cooks.

All men that are ruined are ruined on the side of their natural propensities.

I love the vulgar. I kind of have the humor of a 17-year-old boy.

Stand-up comedy is a science. Every comedian is a psychology major, naturally.

[I]f you want instant, reflexive support for the US government's police and military powers, MSNBC is the place to turn these days.

I just go for what makes me feel good. Especially in 2011, it's so easy to sound like a dickhead when describing yourself because anything anyone says is a catch-word or a buzz-phrase.

It's not too difficult to get the skeletons out of the closet with people, but to get the gold out is a different matter. That is therapy. Psychology is the Art of finding the gold of the spirit.

My favorite type of music to sing would be between R and B and opera.

You don't want to line up on the blocks and know you have not done everything you possibly can.