One can never read too little of bad, or too much of good books: bad books are intellectual poison; they destroy the mind. In order to read what is good one must make it a condition never to read what is bad; for life is short, and both time and strength limited.

What a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he has or how he is regarded by others.

alent is like the marksman who hits a target which others cannot reach; genius is like the marksman who hits a target, as far as which others cannot even see.

...this our world, which is so real, with all its suns and milky ways is-nothing.

It is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude. To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility, is just as insane a proceeding as to set your house on fire. For politeness is like a counter--an avowedly false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy.

Before you take anything away, you must have something better to put in its place.

The law of simplicity and naïveté applies to all fine art, for it is compatible with what is most sublime.