Winston Churchill

The only guide to man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes and the upsetting of our calculations; but with this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honor.

The gift of a common tongue is a priceless inheritance and it may well some day become the foundation of a common citizenship.

Opening amenities are often opening inanities.

I am reminded of the professor who, in his declining hours, was asked by his devoted pupils for his final counsel. He replied, ‘Verify your quotations.’

Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gongthese are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.

If you lose money you lose much, If you lose friends you lose more, If you lose faith you lose all.

Language is the archives of history.

That which builds is better than that which is built.

Rituals are important. Nowadays it’s hip not to be married. I’m not interested in being hip.

Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

The sky was the color of hard crimson, dripping down a canvas, the moon splashed silver across red. Her soothing balm healing my soul in swathes of calmness, I breathe in her tides and let my body be washed ashore, lying in the sands of eternity.

Humility like the darkness, reveals the heavenly lights.

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.

If you employed study, thinking, and planning time daily, you could develop and use the power that can change the course of your destiny.

All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.

There is a great deal of unmapped country within us which would have to be taken into account in an explanation of our gusts and storms.

Our passions do not live apart in locked chambers but dress in their small wardrobe of notions, bring their provisions to a common table and mess together, feeding out of the common store according to their appetite.

The dead should be judged like criminals, impartially, but they should be allowed the benefit of the doubt.

The hues of the opal, the light of the diamond, are not to be seen if the eye is too near.