They who lack talent expect things to happen without effort. They ascribe failure to a lack of inspiration or ability, or to misfortune, rather than to insufficient application. At the core of every true talent there is an awareness of the difficulties inherent in any achievement, and the confidence that by persistence and patience something worthwhile will be realized. Thus talent is a species of vigor.

When we debunk a fanatical faith or prejudice, we do not strike at the root of fanaticism. We merely prevent its leaking out at a certain point, with the likely result that it will leak out at some other point.

It is compassion rather than the principle of justice which can guard us against being unjust to our fellow men.

The wise learn from the experience of others, and the creative know how to make a crumb of experience go a long way.

People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them.

Unpredictability, too, can become monotonous.

Love-making is radical, while marriage is conservative.