Fear is not the natural state of civilized people.

It is not power that corrupts but fear.

We achieve everything by our efforts alone. Our fate is not decided by an almighty God. We decide our own fate by our actions. You have to gain mystery over yourself. It is not a matter of sitting back and accepting.

If I advocate cautious optimism it is not because I do not have faith in the future but because I do not want to encourage blind faith.

In Burma, under the present Constitution, the Army can always take over all parts of government if they think this is necessary. so until the Army comes out clearly and consistently in support of the democratic process we cannot say that it's irreversible. But I don't think we need fear a reversal too much either.

Calamities that are not the result of purely natural phenomena usually have their origins, distant and obscure though they may be, in common human failings.

I look upon myself as a politician. That isn't a dirty word.