George Eliot

A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.

Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right; decide on what you think is right and stick to it.

It is in these acts called trivialities that the seeds of joy are forever wasted, until men and women look round with haggard faces at the devastation their own waste has made, and say, the earth bears no harvest of sweetness – calling their denial knowledge.

Human beliefs, like all other natural growths, elude the barrier of systems.

In the multitude of middle-aged men who go about their vocations in a daily course determined for them much in the same way as the tie of their cravats, there is always a good number who once meant to shape their own deeds and alter the world a little.

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined – to strengthen each other – to be at one with each other in silent unspeakable memories.

A fool’s brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.

Much reading is an oppression of the mind, and extinguishes the natural candle, which is the reason of so many senseless scholars in the world.

Renunciation remains sorrow, though a sorrow borne willingly.

When we direct our thoughts properly, we can control our emotions…

The egoism which enters into our theories does not affect their sincerity; rather, the more our egoism is satisfied, the more robust is our belief.

Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.

Every thought which genius and piety throw into the world alters the world.

Whether the flower looks better in the nosegay than in the meadow where it grew and we had to wet our feet to get it! Is the scholastic air any advantage?

I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: “O Lord make my enemies ridiculous.” And God granted it.

Croesus said to Cambyses; That peace was better than war; because in peace the sons did bury their fathers, but in wars the fathers did bury their sons.

Things do not change; we change.

The receipts of cookery are swelled to a volume; but a good stomach excels them all.

You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success – or are they holding you back?

Nothing is black or white.

It the proof of high culture to say the greatest matters in the simplest way.