Donald Byrd

Those who are quite satisfied sit still and do nothing; those who are not quite satisfied are the sole benefactors of the world.

You have got to decide, look, this is who I am; this is my best way to present myself, and I’m going to ride that horse to the finish line. Not everybody will like it, but that’s OK.

I don’t expect to retire. Every man must work, that’s his natural destiny.

It’s terribly unfair that we should have to suffer like this.

Life is a marathon, it’s not a sprint.

One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died.

“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.

I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say.

Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.

Greatest thing we can produce is character. Everything else can be taken from us, but not our character.

I have lived too long to cherish many illusions about the essential high-mindedness of men when brought into stark confrontation with the issue of control over their security, and their property interests.

I do believe I am special. My special gift is my vision, my commitment, and my willingness to do whatever it takes.

The world is held together by the mass of honest folk who do their daily tasks, tend their own spot in the world, and have faith that at last the Right will come fully into its own.

Let us not, however, upon this account rashly conclude that she is capable of supporting any burden, nor even be too confident that she could support, without great distress, a burden a little greater than what has already been laid upon her.

History is more or less bunk.