Lucius Annaeus Seneca

 A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. 

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Mark Twain

 I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week sometimes to make it up.

- Mark Twain

Albert Schweitzer

 As soon as man does not take his existence for granted, but beholds it as something unfathomably mysterious, thought begins. 

- Albert Schweitzer

Clarence Darrow

 Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt. 

- Clarence Darrow

Michael Caine

 I am a great admirer of other actors, but I never compete with other actors. I always compete with what I did last, and I'm my own most vicious critic. So I'm always trying to do it better. 

- Michael Caine

Thomas Jefferson

 I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. 

- Thomas Jefferson

H. L. Mencken

 To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia - to mistake an ordinary young woman for a goddess.

- H. L. Mencken

Chuck Norris

 A lot of times people look at the negative side of what they feel they can't do. I always look on the positive side of what I can do. 

- Chuck Norris

J. Paul Getty

 Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil. 

- J. Paul Getty

Ingrid Bergman

 Happiness is good health and a bad memory. 

- Ingrid Bergman

Napoleon Bonaparte

 In politics stupidity is not a handicap. 

- Napoleon Bonaparte

Julia Child

 Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it. 

- Julia Child

Christopher Morley

 There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. 

- Christopher Morley

Alexander Hamilton

 I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man. 

- Alexander Hamilton

Samuel Butler

 Most people have never learned that one of the main aims in life is to enjoy it. 

- Samuel Butler