Eleanor Roosevelt

Lest I keep my complacent way I must remember somewhere out there a person died for me today. As long as there must be war, I ask and I must answer was I worth dying for?

As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.

The only advantage of not being too good a housekeeper is that your guests are so pleased to feel how very much better they are.

Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.

Work is always an antidote to depression.

Already know you that which you need.

My finger can point to the moon, but my finger is not the moon. You don’t have to become my finger, nor do you have to worship my finger. You have to forget my finger, and look at where it is pointing.

People do not deserve to have good writings; they are so pleased with the bad.

We are taught by great actions that the universe is the property of every individual in it.

The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.

Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much.

A lot of power and bravery is practice. And some of that is taking the risk to try and be at the table. And then when you’re at the table, taking that first risk to open your mouth and risk being rejected.

For most men, and most circumstances, pleasure –tangible material prosperity in this world -is the safest test of virtue. Progress has ever been through the pleasures rather than through the extreme sharp virtues, and the most virtuous have leaned to excess rather than to asceticism.

This ain’t fun. But you watch me, I’ll get it done.

We are symbols, and inhabit symbols.

Wise men make more opportunities than they find.

I never knew a writer yet who took the smallest pains with his style and was at the same time readable.

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.

The city is recruited from the country.

I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough.