Don't become a mere recorder of facts, 

but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin.

Crime and bad lives are the measure of a State's failure, 

all crime in the end is the crime of the community.

Between falsehood and useless truth there is little difference. 

As gold which he cannot spend will make no man rich, 

so knowledge which cannot apply will make no man wise.

Politeness is a desire to be treated politely, 

and to be esteemed polite oneself.

For every complex problem 

there is an answer that is clear, simple, and 

wrong.

Be still when you have nothing to say; 

when genuine passion moves you, 

say what you've got to say, 

and say it hot.

Humility is not cowardice. 

Meekness is not weakness. 

Humility and meekness are indeed spiritual powers.

You have to remind people of their own struggles. 

It's a responsibility.

I am patient with stupidity 

but not with those who are proud of it.

Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion.

Free the child's potential, 

and you will transform him into the world.

My dreams were all my own; 

I accounted for them to nobody; 

they were my refuge when annoyed

 — my dearest pleasure when free.

Knowing is not enough; 

we must apply. 

Willing is not enough; 

we must do.

Education is the art of making man ethical.

Nothing is built on stone; 

all is built on sand, 

but we must build as if the sand were stone.

Happiness is having a scratch for every itch.

Boldness is a mask for fear, 

however great.

We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our education system.

The public is a bad guesser.

To be ambitious of true honour, 

of the true glory and perfection of our natures, 

is the very principle and incentive of virtue.

Never let a man imagine that he can pursue a good end by evil means, 

without sinning against his own soul. 

The evil effect on himself is certain.

No self is an island; 

each exists in a fabric of relations 

that is now more complex and mobile 

than ever before.

The same words conceal and declare the thoughts of men.

We see things in this material world, 

wherein our bodies dwell, 

only because our mind 

through its attention 

lives in another world, 

only because it contemplates 

the beauties of the archetypal and intelligible world 

which Reason contains.

In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know or understand.

A man, 

to be greatly good, 

must imagine intensely and comprehensively; 

he must put himself in the place of another 

and of many others; 

the pains and pleasures of his species must become his own.

The aims of life are the best defence against death.

An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe in it.

Without this playing with fantasy 

no creative work has ever yet come to birth. 

The debt we owe to the play of the imagination is incalculable.

The possibilities are numerous 

once we decide to act 

and not react.

Judgement comes from experience, 

and experience comes from bad judgement.

There are no passengers on spaceship earth. 

We are all crew.

Free election of masters does not abolish the masters or the slaves.

There are many sham diamonds in this life which pass for real, 

and vice versa.

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

If I don't create, I don't exist.

Like people, trees are all individuals.

I often feel that life is about to begin, 

only to realise it is almost over.

Life is simply the reification of the process of living.

Since the day of my birth, 

my death began its walk. 

It is walking toward me, 

without hurrying.

Within us there is someone who 

knows everything, 

wills everything, 

does everything 

better than we ourselves.

Every historian discloses a new horizon.

Perfection is achieved, 

not when there is nothing more to add, 

but when there is nothing left to take away.

It's important that everyone realises how much scientists still don't know.

A computer would deserve to be called intelligent 

if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human.

Language makes infinite use of finite media.

Words are more treacherous and powerful than we think.

We know the truth, 

not only by the reason, 

but also by the heart.

I am in the present. 

I cannot know what tomorrow will bring forth. 

I can know only what the truth is for me today. 

That is what I am called upon to serve, 

and I serve it in all lucidity.

To be really great in little things, 

to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, 

is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonisation.