Catherine the Great

Power without a nation’s confidence is nothing.

You were in a mood to quarrel. Please inform me once the inclination passes.

I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.

The more a man knows, the more he forgives.

“You should know our mania for building is stronger than ever. It is a diabolical thing. It consumes money and the more you build, the more you want to build. It’s a sickness like being addicted to alcohol.

Tell a thousand people to draft a letter, let them debate every phrase, and see how long it takes and what you get.

I am one of the people who love the why of things.

My experience is that the teachers we need most are the people we’re living with right now.

Buy what thou hast no Need of and ere long thou shalt sell thy Necessaries.

First we make our habits, then our habits make us.

Courage is grace under pressure.

Life is not a success-only journey. You are going to get beat up along the way. And you’ve got to have the strength of character to get up and get back in the game.

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.

Anything is better than lies and deceit!

Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, so you have got to create a new history.

Life is a helluva lot more fun if you say yes rather than no.

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.

We must have courage to bet on our ideas, take the calculated risk, and take action!

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

Teach children not to be gullible.