One exemplary act may affect one life, or even millions of lives. All those who set standards for themselves, who strengthen the bonds of community, who do their work creditably and accept individual responsibility, are building the common future.

One man interacting creatively with others can move the world.

Whoever I am, or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach.

We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your 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.

There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your life.

History never looks like history when you are living through it. It always looks confusing and messy, and it always feels uncomfortable.