George Eliot

When we get to wishing a great deal for ourselves, whatever we get soon turns into mere limitation and exclusion.

Ignorance… is a painless evil; so, I should think, is dirt, considering the merry faces that go along with it.

Play not with paradoxes. That caustic which you handle in order to scorch others may happen to sear your own fingers and make them dead to the quality of things.

But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.

I should like to know what is the proper function of women, if it is not to make reasons for husbands to stay at home, and still stronger reasons for bachelors to go out.

The only failure a man ought to fear is failure in cleaving to the purpose he sees to be best.

The glory of friendship is not in the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is in the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.

Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still.

Sunday is the core of our civilization, dedicated to thought and reverence.

Of what significance are the things you can forget.

Pain never really goes away; you just elevate and get used to it by growing stronger.

One must be an inventor to read well. There is then creative reading as well as creative writing.

Every burned book enlightens the world.

The way to be immortal (I mean not to die at all) is to have me for your heir. I recommend you to put me in your will and you will see that (as long as I live at least) you will never even catch cold.

To him whom contemplates a trait of natural beauty, no harm nor despair can come. The doctrines of despair, spiritual or political servitude, were never taught by those who shared the serenity of Nature. For each phase of Nature, though not invisible, is yet not too distinct or obtrusive. It is there to be found when we look for it, but not too demanding of our attention.

Good poetry seems too simple and natural a thing that when we meet it we wonder that all men are not always poets. Poetry is nothing but healthy speech.

Who shall set a limit to the influence of a human being?

He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.

There are many victories worse than a defeat.

I know that we will be the sufferers if we let great wrongs occur without exerting ourselves to correct them.

The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.