Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible.

The greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship.

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.

I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.

If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.

No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you.

The voice of reason is more to be regarded than the bent of any present inclination; since inclination will at length come over to reason, though we can never force reason to comply with inclination.

Ridicule is generally made use of to laugh men out of virtue and good sense, by attacking everything praiseworthy in human life.

...a well-stocked mind is safe from boredom.

I could impart excitement, but not urgency. – Francis Chen

Soap operas are a world where rich people always have chandeliers and hip people have striped hair and the language that they use doesn't have any flexibility anymore.

True enthusiasm is a fine feeling whose flash I admire where-ever I see it.

Now I am quietly waiting for the catastrophe of my personality to seem beautiful again, and interesting, and modern.

Now when I speak about Zen, I have a problem, in the sense that the Zen of today has lost the essence, in my estimation, of what I call "old Zen."

There ought to be limits to freedom.

First of all, be what you are.

The Navy is a master plan designed by geniuses for execution by idiots. If you're not an idiot, but find yourself in the Navy, you can only operate well by pretending to be one.

I love zoo sanctuaries.