I remember the thought which occurred to me when some ingenious and spiritual foreigners came to America, was, Have you been victimized in being brought hither?--or, prior to that, answer me this, "Are you victimizable?

To accomplish excellence or anything outstanding, you must listen to that whisper which is heard by you alone.

Let none presume to measure the irregularities of Michael Angelo or Socrates by village scales.

Men achieve a certain greatness unawares when working to another aim.

The only prudence in life is concentration.

Our people are slow to learn the wisdom of sending character instead of talent to Congress. Again and again they have sent a man of great acuteness, a fine scholar, a fine forensic orator, and some master of the brawls has crunched him up in his hands like a bit of paper.

Our best history is still poetry.