The self is an oral society in which the present is constantly running a dialogue with the past and the future inside of one skin.

Fame is something that must be won. Honor is something that must not be lost.

Arthur Schopenhauer

All interest in disease and death is only another expression of interest in life.

Thomas Mann

The humanities need to be defended today against the encroachments of physical science, as they once needed to be against the encroachment of theology.

Irving Babbitt

Every life is its own excuse for being.

Elbert Hubbard

Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.

Ben Hecht

When I hit a block, regardless of what I am writing, what the subject matter is, or what's going on in the plot, I go back and I read Pablo Neruda's poetry. I don't actually speak Spanish, so I read it translation. But I always go back to Neruda. I don't know why, but it calms me, calms my brain.

Tea Obreht

My esoteric doctrine, is that if you entertain any doubt, it is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular, is easy... but from the popular to the unpopular is so steep and rugged that it is impossible to maintain it.

Lord Melbourne

If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy.

Richard Yates

My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads of things that I liked about the movie, which made me opt for it.

Natasha Henstridge

You go through life wondering what is it all about but at the end of the day it's all about family.

Rod Stewart

Even though I never worked with her, it was still really cool to have Brooke Shields on set. She was so nice and so funny.

Atticus Shaffer

Being best is a false goal, you have to measure success on your own terms.

Damien Hirst