Two people cannot be alone together for upwards of half an hour without one emerging as the superior.

As fathers commonly go, it is seldom a misfortune to be fatherless; and considering the general run of sons, as seldom a misfortune to be childless.

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.

If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me.

Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise.

Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

You must look into people, as well as at them.

A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Do not only think about it, but feel about it, also, before taking appropriate action.

In the vacuum created by fear and ignorance and hunger and want, it's evil, not good, that rushes to fill the void.

We need an amendment that gives us the right to vote protected by the federal government and the Constitution.

Some mothers need happy children; others need unhappy ones-otherwise they cannot prove their maternal virtues.

Music takes us where words cannot.

True honesty is the willingness to stand completely exposed, allowing the world to do what it may, and say what it will, only so you may know who you are - beyond all ideas.

Don't leave home without your left hemisphere

The people who were against the Vietnam War thought I was attacking the Army. The guys in the Army thought I was representing their experiences. I was on both sides, and I survived.

One can't write without having read - you have to read before beginning to write - and universities offer a very good opportunity to read.

Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.