The world is grown so full of dissimulation and compliment, that men's words are hardly any signification of their thoughts.

Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Fire and swords are slow engines of destruction, compared to the tongue of a Gossip.

People spend their lives in the service of their passions instead of employing their passions in the service of their lives.

Among all the diseases of the mind there is not one more epidemical or more pernicious than the love of flattery.

Vanity makes people ridiculous, pride odious, and ambition terrible.

There is no Pleasure like that of receiving Praise from the Praiseworthy

A lie is troublesome, and sets a man's invention upon the rack, and one trick needs a great many more to make it good.

A fool is in himself the object of pity, until he is flattered.

Zeal for the public good is the characteristic of a man of honor and a gentleman, and must take the place of pleasures, profits and all other private gratifications.

you are here.the moontides are here.and that’s all that matters.

Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.

It is pointless to complain about the problems of the world as long as we continue contributing to them.

Guilt was its own prison.

So there was not an "I" anymore - not a basis on which I could organize my self-respect - save my limitless capacity for toil that it seemed I possessed no more.

I love playing in front of people. I feel powerful, 'cause I don't have to really say anything - I'm just singing.

History is filled with fictional people.

I battle to fall asleep at night. My mind races every other night. I have always been like this, for as long as I can reminder.

She can't just be a face, a body; there has to be more than that, some kind of connection. And I can't connect, don't want to connect, with anyone.

We have never meddled in the domestic affairs of any state and we never will.