Nothing more enhances authority than silence. It is the crowning virtue of the strong, the refuge of the weak, the modesty of the proud, the pride of the humble, the prudence of the wise, and the sense of fools. To speak is to . . . dissipate one's strength; whereas what action demands is concentration. Silence is a necessary preliminary to the ordering of one's thoughts.

Old age is a shipwreck.

A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.

Deliberation is the work of many men. Action, of one alone.

Always choose the hardest way, on it you will not find opponents

For glory gives herself only to those who have always dreamed of her.

Adversity attracts the man of character. He seeks out the bitter joy of responsibility.