At the age of three and a half the Taung Child was eaten by an eagle. The evidence is that damage marks to the eye sockets of the fossil are identical to marks made by modern eagles on modern monkeys as they rip out their eyes. Poor little Taung Child, shrieking on the wind as you were borne aloft by the aquiline fury, you would have found no comfort in your destined fame, two and a half million years on, as the type specimen of Australopithecus africanus.

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.

Ernest Dimnet

What I'd show you is much more bizarre than anything we have looked at so far, and I warn you in advance that the first impulse will be to laugh. That's all right. Laugh if you must. Just don't take your eye off what you see, for even in your imagination, here is a creature who can do you damage.

Stephen King

Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, Make me feel important. Never forget this message when working with people.

Mary Kay Ash

My mum and my dad are the sweetest couple.

Rita Ora

To be kind, honest and have positive thoughts; to forgive those who harm us and treat everyone as a friend; to help those who are suffering and never to consider ourselves superior to anyone else: even if this advice seems rather simplistic, make the effort of seeing whether by following it you can find greater happiness.

Dalai Lama XIV

What the soul hardly realizes is that, unbeliever or not, his loneliness is really a homesickness for God.

Dom Hubert Van Zeller

To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Mind

You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough.

Frank Crane

Teasing is very often a sign of inner misery.

Christopher Hitchens

The men and women who have the right ideals... are those who have the courage to strive for the happiness which comes only with labor and effort and self-sacrifice, and those whose joy in life springs in part from power of work and sense of duty.

Theodore Roosevelt

The world is a mirror of infinite beauty, yet no man sees it. It is a Temple of Majesty, yet no man regards it. It is a region of Light and Peace, did not man disquiet it. It is the Paradise of God.

Thomas Traherne

I got into this little habit of architecture and building. I designed a house in Colorado and one in Hawaii. The idea is supposed to be build and sell - but then I can never bring myself to sell them.

Trey Parker