Leo Tolstoy

Whatever our fate is or may be, we have made it and do not complain of it. – Vronksy (Anna Karenina)

I’ve always loved you, and when you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is, and not as you would like them to be.

But the law of loving others could not be discovered by reason, because it is unreasonable.

Rummaging in our souls, we often dig up something that ought to have lain there unnoticed.

True life is lived when tiny changes occur.

It’s not given to people to judge what’s right or wrong. People have eternally been mistaken and will be mistaken, and in nothing more than in what they consider right and wrong.

Yet if today has no meaning, the past was a Blank and the future is a Chaos.

Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

Every loss of life is terrible.

An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.

I had learned one of the bitter lessons of life: never try to regain the past, the fire will have become ashes.

Ageing’s alright, better than the alternative, which is not being here.

I’m going to go down and take care of the bill. I’m not going to embarrass you, just let me do it. I had such a great time, I just want it to be my treat. [On returning after several minutes red faced] They won’t take my check, I don’t know what we’re going to do. [Robertson said ‘David, what we’ve spent here, we’re going to have to do a lot of dishes.’] I’m going to call Prince Rupert [Loewenstein] and ask him to call the hotel and tell them I’m good for it. Or maybe he can pay the bill and then I’ll pay him back or something. [Prince Rupert vouched for his credit and the hotel agreed to accept Geffen’s check.]

We each own one car, and we have a reasonable house. It’s a lovely place to be, but it’s not extravagant.

You are only as happy as your saddest child.

Know people for who they are rather than for what they are.

You learn from a conglomeration of the incredible past — whatever experience gotten in any way whatsoever.

A good man often appears gauche simply because he does not take advantage of the myriad mean little chances of making himself look stylish. Preferring truth to form, he is not constantly at work upon the facade of his appearance.

When I was practicing psychology, I used to tell myself if I ever get to where I’m just doing this for the money or I’m just going through the motions, I’ll quit.

There is no greater impotence in all the world like knowing you are right and that the wave of the world is wrong, yet the wave crashes upon you.

Nothing is more difficult, in my opinion, than to avoid something that fundamentally attracts you.