So it is more useful to watch a man in time of peril, and in adversity to discern what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask it torn off, reality remains.

No garden is without its weeds.

A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.

One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.

There's no such thing as chance; and what to us seems merest accident springs from the deepest source of destiny.

You will learn that no matter how many pieces your heart was broken into, the world will not stop for you to fix it.

Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.

Be patient where you sit in the dark. The dawn is coming.

Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that setbacks and griefs which endure help us in our march forward.

I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.

Surely what a man does when he is in an uncomfortable situation is the best evidence for the sort of man he is.

I usually make up my mind about a man in ten seconds; and I very rarely change it.

Oh, I offended you with my opinion? You should hear the the ones I keep to myself.

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.

Man is neither angel nor beast; and the misfortune is that he who would act the angel acts the beast.

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

What though strength fails? Boldness is certain to win praise. In mighty enterprises, it is enough to have had the determination.

The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.

Peace is not the absence of war, but a virtue based on strength of character.

True strength lies in gentleness.

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.

The strength and power of a country depends absolutely on the quantity of good men and women in it.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.