It is a man's own dishonesty, his crimes, his wickedness, and boldness, that takes away from him soundness of mind; these are the furies, these the flames and firebrands, of the wicked.

Politicians are not born; they are excreted.

Poor is the nation that has no heroes, but poorer still is the nation that having heroes, fails to remember and honor them.

It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own.

Read at every wait; read at all hours; read within leisure; read in times of labor; read as one goes in; read as one goest out. The task of the educated mind is simply put: read to lead.

We learn nothing from history except that we learn nothing from history.

It is not enough to acquire wisdom, it is necessary to employ it.

Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.

Nothing is more unreliable than the populace, nothing more obscure than human intentions, nothing more deceptive than the whole electoral system.

To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

That you are misserable and full demons and angry don't make the others like you... It's your problem, as for me I want to continue to be positive!

It occurred to her that nobody really knew what anybody else was upset about, and that seemed like a terrible thing.

Who is most likely to bother about your happiness? You, yourself. So like yourself, love yourself, change for your own good and stop looking out to others for your happiness.

I heard a sigh, as though the books were breathing. I felt that this was where I belonged. This was where I lived.

We drown our doubts in dry champagne and soothe our souls with fine cocaine. I don't know why I even care, we get so high and get nowhere.

I want not, that everybody hears about. Then I can't longer be myself.

The world changed from having the determinism of a clock to having the contingency of a pinball machine.

The supreme guide in life is knowledge.

I support all people on earth who have bodies like and unlike my body, skins and moles and old scars, secret and public hair, crooked toes. I support those who have done nothing large.

A garden isn't meant to be useful. It's for joy. Rumer Godden found in Power of Simple Living by Ellyn Sanna