You can block a marriage, but you cannot force a marriage.

I thoroughly believe that reading and literature can help a society to better understand itself.

That might sound shocking to some - and don't worry, I don't see myself as a king.

Ambition is never modest. If modesty means to have middling success, then I can only say: I'm not interested.

We will succeed, because we are fully committed, because, wherever we live, whoever we are, we all share the same responsibility: Make our planet great again.

I had decided that I wanted a dog from an animal shelter. Normally, presidents have purebred dogs, but my is a Labrador-griffon mix. Absolutely adorable.

For me, Europe consists of three things: sovereignty, unity and democracy.

I refuse to give into the sad reflex of French envy because this envy paralyzes our country.

My predecessor taxed wealthy, successful people at a higher rate than ever before. And what happened? They left. And what came of it? Did unemployment drop? No.

I have great respect for Angela Merkel, even if we have a lot of differences.

Post-modernism was the worst thing that could have happened to our democracy. The idea that you have to deconstruct and destroy all grand narratives is not a good one.

When you travel, there really are no mistakes--just learning opportunities.

My life will have been a succession of lives, as if I have had several lives, a multiplicity of stories and roles. I have not ceased to have changes of life.

All a musician can do is to get closer to the sources of nature, and so feel that he is in communion with the natural laws.

It is a profound and necessary truth that the deep things in science are not found because they are useful: they are found because it was possible to find them.

In Europe they look upon jazz as art. In America it's a diversion. Somebody opens a restaurant and installs another band off to the side. People don't listen.

If you can stay in love for more than two years, you're on something.

The miracle is that your children will love you with all your imperfections if you can do the same for them.

David Ortiz is a genius. He's incredible to watch. Over and over, he hits home runs that are simply transcendent.

It's possible to overlook character flaws of in-laws for the simple reason that you feel neither responsible for them nor genetically implicated.

With each film, i need an artistic challenge so I don't get bored! I like to tackle challenges.