There is no one who is without faults, and who is not in some way a burden to others, whether he is a superior or a subject, an old man or a young one, a scholar or a dunce.

Freedom of belief is pernicious, it is nothing but the freedom to be wrong.

Flee idleness... for no one is more exposed to such temptations than he who has nothing to do.

To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin".

It is not difficult for one seal to make many impressions exactly alike, but to vary shapes almost infinitely, which is what God has done in creation, this is in truth a divine work.

God has implanted a natural tendency to the monarchial form of government not only in the hearts of men but in practically all things.

Political rule is so natural and necessary to the human race that it cannot be withdrawn without destroying nature itself; for the nature of man is such that he is a social animal.

I will be dead in a few months. But it hasn't given me the slightest anxiety or worry. I always knew I was going to die.

When you think about such fine actors as Maggie Smith or Michael Gambon, they do all mediums. I think it would be quite sad and a bit dull just to have to stick to one. I like all of them.

Zeal should not outrun discretion.

I like sarcasm. I like snark.

People are saying that Anderson Cooper could be the new Oprah. And then these people are struck by lightning.

I'm really aware that in fiction, women are pretty much equal. There's a lot of very successful women novelists. Not so much [for women writers working] in film.

With every step of our lives we enter into the middle of some story which we are certain to misunderstand.

For me, a great story is one in which the protagonist faces unimaginable odds; where the stakes are high that failure constitutes a disaster.

The higher the yield, the higher the risk. A high yield is designed to attract investors. An outrageously high yield attracts fools.

Expressing criticism of society is not being a grouch.