Man alone, during his brief existence on this earth, is free to examine, to know, to criticize, and to create. In this freedom lies his superiority over the forces that pervade his outward life. He is that unique organism in terms of matter and energy, space and time, which is urged to conscious purpose. Reason is his characteristic and indistinguishing principle. But man is only man -- and free -- when he considers himself as a total being in whom the unmediated whole of feeling and thought is not severed and who impugns any form of atomization as artificial, mischievous, and predatory.

How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book.

Henry David Thoreau

No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere, whether it is holding out a hand of friendship, or making clear that you disapprove of something, is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being, so the goal is to always establish common ground.

Madeleine Albright

And when I was young, my family was perfectly nice. I write a lot about it, as you noticed. But it was rather limited. I think, I don't think anyone in my family would really feel I'd done them an injustice by saying that. We didn't see many people. There were many books. It was as if I wanted to get away from home.

Christopher Hitchens

The photograph reverses the purpose of travel, which until now had been to encounter the strange and unfamiliar.

Marshall McLuhan

The wildest colts make the best horses.

Plutarch

I was an OK boxer, I wasn't great, I was OK, but I loved the discipline of getting together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, usually Saturday afternoons too, with a whole bunch of mates and training, very, very hard for about two-and-half hours.

Liam Neeson

And if doctor says that you don't have IBS with constipation, you might want to get a second opinion, because I had doctors that were telling me... of course, a lot of this has to do with science - progressing.

Cybill Shepherd

My mom told me to do whatever I wanted to do and don't get too anxious about it.

David Giuntoli

A parent's words maybe a little harsh and painful, but it will be their annoying redundant words of love and care that will mold us into a better person.

Rea Erika Paraz Ebate

Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become better.

Bill Bradley

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

Niccolo Machiavelli

I still have a photo on my wall of the greatest idol I will ever have in my life, and it's myself at eight. Because that's when the forces of imagination have the same value as the real world, when they're an instrument of survival: when my mother disappeared, and I imagined a mother. That was me at my best.

Henning Mankell