A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times it ws the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair we had everything before us, we had nothing before us we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way.

Charles Dickens

We hope all danger may be overcome; but to conclude that no danger may ever arise would itself be extremely dangerous.

Abraham Lincoln

An important antidote to American democracy is American gerontocracy. The positions of eminence and authority in Congress are allotted in accordance with length of service, regardless of quality. Superficial observers have long criticized the United States for making a fetish of youth. This is unfair. Uniquely among modern organs of public and private administration, its national legislature rewards senility.

John Kenneth Galbraith

The whole idea of revenge and punishment is a childish day-dream. Properly speaking, there is no such thing as revenge. Revenge is an act which you want to commit when you are powerless and because you are powerless: as soon as the sense of impotence is removed, the desire evaporates also.

George Orwell

There are a handful of people whom money won't spoil, and we all count ourselves among them.

Mignon McLaughlin

Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work to get better. It's hard to stay on top.

Paul Coffey

The customer is not always right. You don't go to your dentist and neurologist and say, 'You know, I have some ideas!'

Anthony Bourdain

Nothing is true, but that which is simple.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Less, but better.

Dieter Rams

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.

Robyn Davidson

Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger

My mother is a firm believer in the long pause, useful in interrogations, proclamations of truth, and the occasional cutting dead of someone without their knowing it.

Suzanne Finnamore