...when men ignite in their hearts a religious fury, they inflict at the same time a blindness on their eyes.

I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters.

I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter.

No invader has ever conquered the heart of Poland, that spirit which is the inheritance of sons and daughters, the private passion of families and the ancient, unbreakable tie to all those who came before.

A nation becomes what its young people read in their youth. Its ideals are fashioned then, its goals strongly determined.

No man leaves where he is and seeks a distant place unless he is in some respect a failure.

I had been educated with free scholarships. I went to nine different universities, always at public expense, and when you have that experience, you are almost obligated to give it back. It's as simple as that.