Man must not check reason by tradition, but must check tradition by reason.

Thedifference between the right word and the almost right word is the differencebetween lightning and a lightning bug.

Life is like a mirror. smile at it, and it is charming; frown at it, and it becomes sinister.

The exercise of power is determined by thousands ofinteractions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, allthe more so because these worlds are never divided by a sharp line: everyonehas a small part of himself in both.

Success is often the result of taking a mis-step in the right direction.

Firstkeep the peace within yourself, then you can alsobring peace to others.

There isno squabbling so violent as that between people who accepted an ideayesterday and those who will accept the same idea tomorrow.

Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

I know youbelieve you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realizethat what you heard isn't what I meant.

Human beings are not perfectible. They are improvable.

Nothing would be done at all if a man waited till he could do it so well that no one could find fault with it

A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles.