Keep skid chains on your tongue. Say less than you think. Cultivate a pleasant voice. How you say it is often more important than what you say.

Maturity: Be able to stick with a job until it is finished. Be able to bear an injustice without having to get even. Be able to carry money without spending it. Do your duty without being supervised.

Friends with benefits? More than friends? Don't sample the goodies unless you're willing to risk addiction and withdrawal.

Women who are devoted to causes, such as overpopulation and the underprivileged [sic], are much less interested in fashion than, let's say, those who lunch at La Grenouille and Le Cirque.

Parents do not owe their progeny an inheritance no matter how much money they have. One of the surest ways to produce loafers and freeloaders is to let children know that their future is assured.

If criticism is needed, do it tactfully. Don't use a sledgehammer when a fly swatter will do the job.

A successful marriage is not a gift; it is an achievement.