Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.

The wisdom of others remains dull till it is writ over with our own blood. We are essentially apart from the world; it bursts into our consciousness only when it sinks its teeth and nails into us.

Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.

A great man's greatest good luck is to die at the right time.

Those who lack the capacity to achieve much in an atmosphere of freedom will clamor for power.

For many people, an excuse is better than an achievement because an achievement, no matter how great, leaves you having to prove yourself again in the future; but an excuse can last for life.

What greater reassurance can the weak have than that they are like anyone else?