A period of high civilization is one in which thoughts fly freely from mind to mind, from one country to another-yes, from the past into the present.

The young do not demand omniscience. They know it is unattainable. They do demand sincerity.

The teacher's chief difficulty is poverty. He (or she) belongs to a badly paid profession. He cannot dress and live like a workman, but he is sometimes paid as little as an unskilled laborer.

A very wise old teacher once said: I consider a day's teaching wasted if we do not all have one hearty laugh.

Bad teaching wastes a great deal of effort, and spoils many lives which might have been full of energy and happiness.

The art of invective resembles the art of boxing. Very few fights are won with the straight left. It is too obvious, and it can betoo easily countered. The best punches, like the best pieces of invective in this style, are either short-arm jabs, unexpectedly rapid and deadly; or else one-two blows, where you prepare your opponent with the first hit, and then, as his face comes forward, connect with your other fist: one, two. Both are effective; but they can be administered only by a real artist, with a real wish to knock his enemy out.

The aim of those who try to control thought is always the same. They find one single explanation of the world, one system of thought and action that will (they believe) cover everything; and then they try to impose that on all thinking people.