Josh Billings said, It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too. Human beings have always employed an enormous variety of clever devices for running away from themselves, and the modern world is particularly rich in such stratagems.

But if we believe what we profess concerning the worth of the individual, then the idea of individual development within a framework of ethical purpose must become our deepest concern, our national preoccupation, our passion, our obsession. We must think of education as relevant for everyone everywhere - at all ages and in all conditions of life.

The play of conflicting interests in a framework of shared purposes is the drama of a free society. It is a robust exercise, and often a noisy one. It is not for the faint-hearted, or the tidy-minded.

When hiring key employees, there are only two qualities to look for: judgement and taste. Almost everything else can be bought by the yard.

Paralysis of leadership is due in part to the unseen grip of the special interests.

Renewal is not just innovation and change. It is also the process of bringing the results of change into line with our purposes.

Life is an endless process of self-discovery.