The happiness of most people is not ruined by great catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly destructive little things.

Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves.

Ideas are the roots of creation.

Ideas are the root of creation.

The object of reflection is invariably the discovery of something satisfying to the mind which was not there at the beginning of the search.

A book, like a landscape, is a state of consciousness varying with readers.

Reading, to most people, means an ashamed way of killing time disguised under a dignified name

You can believe in God without believing in immortality, but it is hard to see how anyone can believe in immortality and not believe in God.

Americans cannot realize how many chances for mental improvement they lose by their inveterate habit of keeping six conversations when there are twelve in the room.

Education is the methodical creation of the habit of thinking.

Life is a succession of lessons enforced by immediate reward, or, oftener, by immediate chastisement.

The scenery in the play was beautiful, but the actors got in front of it.

I always pray before any of the operation. I think God help me know what to do.

My job is about playing people. And I think once you lose touch with people, what do you play?

Writing is my job. I don't think of it as art.

I feel great. I had a triple bypass in 1976 and a quadruple bypass in 1984.

A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose - a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.

I just want it to be better, I just want to be better, but this is very encouraging.

I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places … In the most unlikely places I will bless your efforts and reward your perseverance with small indications of your victory.

France has usually been governed by prostitutes

Who needs a handgun when you've got a semiautomatic?