Embrace the faith that every challenge surmounted by your energy; every problem solved by your wisdom; every soul stirred by your passion; and every barrier to justice brought down by your determination will ennoble your life, inspire others, serve your country, and explode outward the boundaries of what is achievable on this earth.

I think the hardest part [is] the priorities. There are an awful lot of things to do [being Secretary of State].

I spent my life studying communism and Soviet systems.

Life is grim, and we don't have to be grim all the time.

I am not a fatalist. I have just been reading War and Peace and Tolstoy is such a fatalist. I think people can make a difference... I am an optimist who worries a lot.

As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.

While democracy in the long run is the most stable form of government, in the short run, it is among the most fragile.