George Eliot

The beginning of compunction is the beginning of a new life.

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.

We hand folks over to God’s mercy, and show none ourselves.

In spite of his practical ability, some of his experience had petrified into maxims and quotations.

She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts.

In the vain laughter of folly wisdom hears half its applause.

Classic art was the art of necessity: modern romantic art bears the stamp of caprice and chance.

I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I could not sleep I wrote in the dark.

Youth, which is forgiven everything, forgives itself nothing: age, which forgives itself everything, is forgiven nothing.

There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.

Adam was but human-this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent.

What ever the motive for the insult, it is always best to overlook it; for folly doesn’t deserve resentment, and malice is punished by neglect.

When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.

If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It’s very important to be aware of them every time they come up.

When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?

If women were as fastidious as men, morally or physically, there would be an end of the race.

The education of the will is the object of our existence.

We know there is intention and purpose in the universe, because there is intention and purpose in us.

The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.

Be an opener of doors.

The search after the great men is the dream of youth, and the most serious occupation of manhood.