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.

Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking.

There is only one failure in life possible, and that is not to be true to the best one knows.

We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment.

And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it.

There is a sort of subjection which is the peculiar heritage of largeness and of love; and strength is often only another name for willing bondage to irremediable weakness.

A man is a god in ruins.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.

It is necessary to hope… for hope itself is happiness.

I desire to gain your Love and Friendship by a kind, Just and Peaceful Life.

A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.

One can resist the invasion of an army, but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas.

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.

At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins.

The presence of a noble nature, generous in its wishes, ardent in its charity, changes the lights for us: we begin to see things again in their larger, quieter masses, and to believe that we too can be seen and judged in the wholeness of our character.

Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart.

We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.

One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.

Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.