A man has to learn that he cannot command things, but that he can command himself; that he cannot coerce the wills of others, but that he can mold and master his own will: and things serve him who serves Truth; people seek guidance of him who is master of himself.

The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose.

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

As I walked out the door to my freedom I knew that, if I did not leave all the anger, hatred and resentment behind, I would remain a prisoner.

I am not remotely interested in just being good.

The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.

We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.

We ought not to let either our joy at their faults or our grief at their success be idle, but in either case we ought to reflect, how we may become better than them by avoiding their errors, and by imitating their virtues not come short of them.

Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.

No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot.

But all my life through, the very insistence on truth has taught me to appreciate the beauty of compromise.

My experience has shown me that we win justice quickest by rendering justice to the other party.

The whole universe is contained within a single human being—you.

If you are ever tempted to look for outside approval, realize that you have compromised your own integrity. If you need a witness, be your own.

I define love thus: The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.

When there is silence one finds the anchor of the universe within oneself.

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.

Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.

The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands.

Conquer yourself rather than the world.

You cannot push any one up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself.

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.