The wise man should withdraw his soul within, out of the crowd, and keep it in freedom and power to judge things freely; but as for externals, he should wholly follow the accepted fashions and forms.

The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them... Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years, but on your will.

Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.

The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.

A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.

My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.

A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.

Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.

Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out.

The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness.

Properly used, positive reinforcement is extremely powerful.

My back is so scar-tissued that you couldn't find a place to slip a knife.

Felicity is in possession, happiness in anticipation.

Bravery escapes more dangers than cowardice.

The most serious dangers for American freedom and the American way of life do not come from without.

I've conducted an experiment on my kids. Instead of denying them access to media, I've encouraged it. They read comic books, play Nintendo and watch way too much TV.

The French hold onto their traditions. I was always so alienated in America. My work was this constant reaction to that.

I really had to think and learn about musical intervals.

Women are not in love with me but with the picture of me on the screen. I am merely the canvas upon which the women paint their dreams.

The general (federal) government will tend to monarchy, which will fortify itself from day to day, instead of working its own cures.