The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.

My mother gave birth to twins: myself and fear.

-- Thomas Hobbes

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.

-- Bertrand Russell

I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.

-- Frida Kahlo

I came to Russia knowing absolutely nothing.

-- Catherine II of Russia