Our prejudices are so deeply rooted that we never think of them as prejudices but call them common sense.

Social progress takes effect through the replacement of all institutions by new ones; and since every institution involves the recognition of the duty of conforming to it, progress must involve the repudiation of an established duty at every step.

No severity of punishment deters when detection is uncertain, as it always must be.

You don't expect me to know what to say about a play when I don't know who the author is, do you? . . . If it's by a good author, it's a good play, naturally. That stands to reason.

Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart's desire; the other is to get it.

The great dramatist has something better to do than to amuse either himself or his audience. He has to interpret life.

If associations to control burglary and murder were tolerated we should take it for granted that the members should all be burglers and murderers.