[Patriotism] ...is a word which always commemorates a robbery. There isn't a foot of land in the world which doesn't represent the ousting and re-ousting of a longline of successive "owners" who each in turn, as "patriots" with proud swelling hearts defended it against the next gang of "robbers" who came to steal it and did -- and became swelling-hearted patriots in their turn.

Principles aren't of much account anyway, except at election time. After that you hang them up to let them season.

I could be an idiot, or I can serve in Congress, but I repeat myself.

Human pride is not worthwhile; there is always something lying in wait to take the wind out of it.

A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; ...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; ...those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It comes at last--the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them--and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence, ...a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.

To be great, truly great, you have to be the kind of person who makes the others around you great.

The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think.