My father once told me that respect for truth comes close to being the basis for all morality. 'Something cannot emerge from nothing,' he said. This is profound thinking if you understand how unstable 'the truth' can be.

Men always fear things which move by themselves.

Caution is the path to mediocrity. Gliding, passionless mediocrity is all that most people think they can achieve.

A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.

Religions often partake of the myth of progress that shields us from the terrors of an uncertain future.

The past is no farther away than your pillow.

There exists a limit to the force even the most powerful may apply without destroying themselves. Judging this limit is the true artistry of government. Misuse of power is the fatal sin.