We evaluate others with a Godlike justice, but we want them to evaluate us with a Godlike compassion.

The main discomfort in being a middle-of-the-roader is that you get sideswiped by partisans going in both directions.

We believe what we want to believe, what we like to believe, what suits our prejudices and fuels our passions.

Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the greatest," but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is.

The lusts of the flesh can be gratified anywhere; it is not this sort of license that distinguishes New York. It is rather, a lust of the total ego for recognition, even for eminence. More than elsewhere, everybody here wants to be somebody.

A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is too timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.

As WArden Lawes once said of convicts, no man can be called a failure until he has tried something he really likes, and fails at it.