I regard philanthropy as a tragic apology for wrong conditions under which human beings live.

Optimism, then, is a fact within my own heart. But as I look out upon life, my heart meets no contradiction. The outward world justifies my inward universe of good.

The test of all beliefs is their practical effect in life. If it be true that optimism compels the world forward, and pessimism retards it, then it is dangerous to propagate a pessimistic philosophy.

Life is short and unpredictable. Eat the dessert first!

It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui.

Literature is my Utopia

What really counts in life is the quiet meeting of every difficulty with the determination to get out of it all the good there is.