When law and duty are one, united by religion, you never become fully conscious, fully aware of yourself. You are always a little less than an individual.

Empires do not suffer emptiness of purpose at the time of their creation. It is when they have become established that aims are lost and replaced by vague ritual.

All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities.

A world is supported by four things: the learning of wise, the justice of great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing without a ruler who knows the art of ruling.

The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that permits him to move within himself. Without this quality, even occasional greatness will destroy a man.

To stay awake all night adds a day to your life.

When strangers meet, great allowance should be made for differences of custom and training.