Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

What we need is a system of thought – you might even call it a religion – that can bind humans together. A system that would fit the Republic of Chad as well as the United States: a system that would supply our idealistic young people with something to believe in.

When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending any time with you and me.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m a writer who’s writing books, and therefore, I don’t want to die. You’d miss the end of the book wouldn’t you? You can’t die with an unfinished book.

With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.

Sometimes it is better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.

Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.

I like working. That’s when I’m feeling my best. And the people around me know that. My wife knows that.

We can’t afford to be killing one another.

Being prime minister is a lonely job… you cannot lead from the crowd.

You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.

Some men see things as they are, and say why. I dream of things that never were, and say why not.

When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible.

If you don’t set the tone for the day, the devil will set it for you.

I have been aware all the time that my peoples, spread far and wide throughout every continent and ocean in the world, were united to support me in the task to which I have now been dedicated with such solemnity.

People want you to fail.

The reason that I’m here at all is because of my relationship with my family and their encouragement of me to be a musician and to work hard. As long as I stay there in that space, I can do anything. That’s my truth.

To not follow your passion in life is a recipe for failure and unhappiness.

If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.

Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern statesmen it really seems to mean that half a loaf; is better than a whole loaf.

Without discipline, there’s no life at all.

Successful people will always tell you you can do something. It’s the people who have never accomplished anything who will always discourage you from trying to achieve excellent things.

Nobody climbs mountains for scientific reasons. Science is used to raise money for the expeditions, but you really climb for the hell of it.

Most of us aren’t defeated in one decisive battle. We are defeated one tiny, seemingly insignificant surrender at a time that chips away at who we should really be.

The greenhorn is the ultimate victor in everything; it is he that gets the most out of life.

This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.

Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.

Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.

The other day the President said, I know you’ve had some rough times, and I want to do something that will show the nation what faith that I have in you, in your maturity and sense of responsibility. He paused, then said, would you like a puppy?

That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

Since day one, since the first time I touched the pen, I wanted to be the best at what I do.

Unless and until you inspire the people, you will not get results. Imposition will never give you the results. Inspiration will always give you the results.

Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.

People don’t care about what someone says about you in a movie – or even what you say, right? They care about what you build. And if you can make something that makes people’s life better, then that’s something that’s really good.

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.

Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.

Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.

We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings. That’s why we paint, that’s why we dare to love someone – because we have the impulse to explain who we are.

The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself.

Talent without working hard is nothing.

Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy.

Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.

I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger together: black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; young, old; gay, straight; men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance under the same proud flag to this big, bold country that we love. That’s what I see. That’s the America I know!

To govern means to pillage, as everyone knows.

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Even as you make progress, you need the discipline to keep from backtracking and sabotaging the success as it’s happening.

What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.

If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

My protest about the post exchange seating bore some results. More seats were allocated for blacks, but there were still separate sections for blacks and for whites. At least I had made my men realize that something could be accomplished by speaking out, and I hoped they would be less resigned to unjust conditions.

I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end… I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.

I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.

I want to be just a pure spiritual leader.

People tell me that they are so hopeful when they see me and other children ‚school-striking,‘ and they say, ‚Oh the children are going to save us.‘ But no, we aren’t. We are too young to be able to do that. We don’t have time to wait for us to grow up and fix this in the future.

We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist and forever will recreate each other.

By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.

God’s desire is that we excel.

Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.

If something’s important enough, you should try. Even if – the probable outcome is failure.

I’m just going to say it: I’m pro-guilt. Guilt is good. Guilt helps us stay on track because it’s about our behavior. It occurs when we compare something we’ve done – or failed to do – with our personal values.