John W. Gardner

You’re only lonely if you’re not there for you.

I’m beginning to understand myself. But it would have been great to be able to understand myself when I was 20 rather than when I was 82.

The Smiths dream into my ear on this lost and lonely morning. I sing along like it is the only prayer I know (forgive me, Mother Mary).

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find how far one can go.

Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.

I don’t believe in killing whatever the reason!

If only I had known then the speed with which she could die, maybe I wouldn’t have become the hemlock.

They (wives) are people who think when the telephone bell rings, it is against the law not to answer it

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

You need to listen to your body because your body is listening to you.

We are entering an era when we shall create resources which shall be so constantly renewed that the only loss will be not to use them. There will be such a plenteous supply of heat, light and power, that it will be a sin not to use all we want. This era is coming now. And it is coming by way of Water.

The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.

This is the only reason Greenfield Village exists-to give us a sense of unity with our people through the generations, and to convey the inspiration of American genius to our young men. As a nation we have not depended so much on rare or occasional genius as on the general resourcefulness of our people. That is our true genius, and I am hoping that Greenfield Village will serve that.

We learn something every day, and lots of times it’s that what we learned the day before was wrong.

Never ask anyone over 70 how they feel. They’ll tell you.