Maya Angelou

There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.

Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: “I’m with you kid. Let’s go.”

All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.

Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.

When you know better you do better.

There are those that are void of all mercy, but when it comes the time that they are on their knees, they plead for it. Those that were born with the art of deception, never sincere with their words or actions. But mercy is not theirs to take, only for you to give. Never compromise your standards, your beliefs and become like the ones who you are fighting against, but stay resolute to who you are.

Private men, in fine, are so much their own, that, paying common dues, they are sovereigns of all the rest. Yet the public must and will be served; and they that do it well, deserve public marks of honour and respect. To do so, men must have public minds, as well as salaries; or they will serve private ends at the public cost. Government can never be well administered, but where those intrusted make conscience of well discharging their places.

No man can be a pure specialist without being in the strict sense an idiot.

If a man owns land, the land owns him.

Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade, in short, in all the management of human affairs.

The place of justice is a hallowed place.

When many demons are struggling inside you, the one that you feed is the one that will become the strongest. You alone are responsible for what you feed.

Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.

No matter how often you are defeated, you are born to victory.

I’m not a teacher: only a fellow-traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead – ahead of myself as well as you.

A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

Knowledge exists to be imparted.

There is nothing assured to mortals.

The reward of a thing well done is having done it.

He who is not just is severe, he who is not wise is sad.