The first effect of emancipation from the Church was not to make men think rationally, but to open their minds to every sort of antique nonsense

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.

An Honest politician will not be tolerated by a democracy unless he is very stupid ... because only a very stupid man can honestly share the prejudices of more than half the nation.

If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.

We have in fact, two kinds of morality, side by side: one which we preach, but do not practice, and another which we practice, but seldom preach.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd.

Cruel men believe in a cruel god and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly god, and they would be kindly in any case.

Old words are reborn with new faces.

Have you found someone to share your heart with? Are you giving to your community? Are you at peace with yourself? Are you trying to be as human as you can be?

Let us retreat when we can, not when we must. Lord Chatham

I don't think there are any true heroes. Just people who ignore their survival instincts long enough to do something incredibly foolhardy.

Law, rather than harnessing the passions, is increasingly pressed into their service.

Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, And men below, and saints above: For love is heaven, and heaven is love.

I have already given two cousins to the war and I stand ready to sacrifice my wife's brother.

It is equally offensive to speed a guest who would like to stay and to detain one who is anxious to leave.

Its easy to lose sight of what you want when you think you want everything.

It's important for us not to lose sight of the fact that this is a family that's grieving and there's been a tremendous loss. And we all have to rally around that piece of it.