Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards.

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.

My life is passed in making bad jokes and seeing them turn into true prophecies.

Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul.

The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side.

The highest and noblest thing that history can be is a good story.

Most Americans ... have a sort of permanent intoxication from within, a sort of invisible champagne.