I was born 'neath a clouded star.

I am confirmed in my division of human energies. Ambitious people climb, but faithful people build.

Theology in general seems to me a substitution of human ingenuity for divine wisdom.

I take refuge in my books.

How utterly are one's best thoughts invaded by this going out in society.

Marriage, like death, is a debt we owe to nature.

Boston is an oasis in the desert, a place where the larger proportion of people are loving, rational and happy.

I was born 'neath a clouded star.

God forgive me if I do wrong in following with ardor the strongest instincts of my nature.

The strokes of the pen need deliberation as much as the sword needs swiftness.

Beneath all differences of doctrine or discipline there exists a fundamental agreement as to the simple, absolute essentials in religion.

The blind must not only be fed and housed and cared for; they must learn to make thir lives useful to the community.

While your life is the true expression of your faith, whom can you fear?

The frozen ocean... of Boston life.

I shall stick to my resolution of writing always what I think no matter whom it offends.

I know not why there is such a melancholy feeling attached to the remembrance of past happiness, except that we fear that the future can have nothing so bright as the past.

I sometimes think God allows Great Britain to be unprincipled for the good of mankind.

Massachusetts women as a rule adhere too strongly to old-time conventions.

Disarm, disarm. The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.

When the unwelcome little unborn shall have seen the light my brain will be lightened, and I shall have a clearer mind. Thank God that even this weary nine months shall come to an end and leave me in possession of my own body and my own soul.

I never could be good when I was not happy.

The blind must not only be fed and housed and cared for they must learn to make thir lives useful to the community.

Boston is an oasis in the desert a place where the larger proportion of people are loving rational and happy.

Life is like a cup of tea the sugar is all at the bottom

Politeness induces morality. Serenity of manners requires serenity of mind.

In the nature of things, I must soon lose sight of this sense of constant metamorphosis whose limits bound our human life.

It is always legitimate to wish to rise above one's self, never above others.

The greatest evils of society are goods that have refused to go on, but have sat down on the highway, saying to the world, "We stop here; do you stop also."

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.

People can inhabit anything. And they can be miserable in anything and ecstatic in anything. More and more I think that architecture has nothing to do with it. Of course, that's both liberating and alarming.

Although my mother and father were both completely legit, it was all around me, this crime and licentiousness.

Gymnastics, especially in my family, is more than a sport. It's our life, it's our careers, it's our family business.

Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands.

Sooner or later we're all someone's dog.

The world is a better place with you in it.

Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.

Today I see beauty everywhere I go, in every face I see, in every single soul.

Common sense is compelled to make its way without the enthusiasm of anyone.

I don't believe for a minute that women really want to be understood by men.

When you think about a walking tree, laughter is the response.

I struggled with the pressure of having the successful record after the first record. Second album syndrome. I'm living proof; it's very real. It was like a psychological battle to be creative. I used to never feel pressure to be creative; it's always just been a fun thing. And then suddenly it's my job, and people are asking, 'Where's the record?'

In my twenties, I was obsessed with what other people thought of me. In my thirties, it's about my children, my husband, my work. In my forties, it's going to be about me, and I shan't care what anyone else thinks. I can't wait!

I say to the paparazzi, 'Fellas, take your shot and go.' It's just they usually find me on a beach.

Writers displace their anxiety on to the tools of the trade. It's better to say that you haven't got the right pencil than to say you can't write, or to blame your computer for losing your chapter than face up to your feeling that it's better lost.

Artists freeze themselves into these weird postures that are meant to be impressive and involving, then they fling them out into the world like Polaroids, and then they move on. And I'm stuck in this intense relationship to the Polaroid.

Hiding, secrets, and not being able to be yourself is one of the worst things ever for a person. It gives you low self-esteem. You never get to reach that peak in your life. You should always be able to be yourself and be proud of yourself.

If a Jewish group sat down with a Christian conservative group, and there was a so-called Messianic Jew at the table, that would be the end of the meeting.

It's rare that I come across actors who are willing to work as hard on the material as I am.

But I contend that if we're providing total medical coverage for every man, woman, and child in Iraq, shouldn't we at least be doing the same thing for every man, woman, and child in the United States?