A building without a strong foundation is weak.

He whose honor depends on the opinion of the mob must day by day strive with the greatest anxiety, act and scheme in order to retain his reputation. For the mob is varied and inconsistent, and therefore if a reputation is not carefully preserved it dies quickly.

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

Plans will get you into things, but you have got to work your way out.

The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back.

We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation. This may well be mankind's last chance between chaos and community.

A fair character is a fair fortune.

To educate in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.

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.

Not a having and a resting, but a growing and a becoming is the character of perfection as culture conceives it.

I had made the religion of service my own, as I felt that God could be realized only through service.

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.

A leader's greatness is found in bringing out greatness in others.

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.

A man must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.

It wasn't until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say "I don't know."

The greatest kindness one can render to any man is leading him to truth.

Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge are not infused into us from without.

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

This is the thing that I was born to do.

I just want God’s will. And He’s allowed to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promise land . . . So I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man.

If we do not make common cause to save the good old ship of the Union on this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage.

Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it. Or it has not come to you yet; do not project your desire to meet it, but wait until it comes in front of you. So act toward children, so act toward a wife, so toward office, so toward wealth.

A winner never taught me how to quit.

Do not hire a man who does your work for money but him who does it for love of it.

There is nothing in the world that empowers a human being to overcome external difficulties or internal hardships so much as the awareness that one has a task in life.

I have a deeply hidden and inarticulate desire for something beyond the daily life.

You will find rest from vain fancies if you perform every act in life as though it were your last.

Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.

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.

Old age is no place for sissies.

It cannot be your duty to do anything that is beyond your reach or your strength at the moment. It cannot be your duty to do anything that sacrifices your own integrity or your own spiritual development.

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

I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.

Just keep in mind: the more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.

Values are related to our emotions, just as we practice physical hygiene to preserve our physical health, we need to observe emotional hygiene to preserve a healthy mind and attitudes.

Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain forever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I transgress it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.