“The first law of success ... is concentration: to bend all the energies to one point and to go directly to that point looking neither to the right nor the left.”

“The difficulties hardships and trials of life the obstacles ... are positive blessings. They knit the muscles more firmly and teach self-reliance.”

“One well-cultivated talent deepened and enlarged is worth one hundred shallow faculties.”

“Unless a man has trained himself for his chance the chance will only make him ridiculous.”

“The difficulties hardships and trials of life the obstacles ... are positive blessings. They knit the muscles more firmly and teach self-reliance.”

“One well-cultivated talent deepened and enlarged is worth one hundred shallow faculties.”

“Whoever is spared personal pain must feel himself called to help in diminishing the pain of others. We must all carry our share of the misery which lies upon the world.”

“I do believe God gave me a spark of genius, but he quenched it in misery.”

“We spent as much money as we could, and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same con...”

“Im not a woman you bring home to Mother, pick out china patterns with, or Mary forefend, breed. Ive seen a chunk of the universe, true, but theres still so much more to see. I doubt Ill ever cure t...”

“My hope, my heaven, my trust must be,My gentle guide, in following thee.”

“Amory took to writing poetry on spring afternoons, in the gardens of the big estates near Princeton, while swans made effective atmosphere in the artificial pools, and slow clouds sailed harmonious...”

“The beginning of wisdom, as they say. When you're seventeen you know everything. When you're twenty-seven if you still know everything you're still seventeen.”

“Do you know why you feel destined for something greater? Why? Kip asked, quiet, hopeful. Because youre an arrogant little shit.”

“I knew from Brianna that being beautiful wasnt all great. Brianna had changed in middle school. One day we were both seventh graders and the next, she was a supermodel who had a seventh grader for ...”