"A rose gets its color and fragrance from the root, and man his virtue from his childhood."

“Action without study fatal. Study without action is futile....”

“In those days a boy on the classical side officially did almost nothing but classics. I think this was wise; the greatest service we can to education today is to teach few subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.”

“Nothing—absolutely nothing—in this life gives you more satisfaction than knowing you’re on the road to success and achievement. And nothing stands as a bigger challenge than making the most of yourself.”

“The beholder's eye, which moves like an animal grazing, follows paths prepared for it in the picture.”

“You picked a lemon, throw it away lemonade is overrated. Freaks should remain at the circus, not in your apartment. You already have one asshole. You don’t need another. Make a space in your life for the glorious things you deserve. Have faith.”

“Writing for other artists helped me figure out that magic you have to capture to make everyone connect with a song.”

“At the end of the day, life's about realising one's human potential. I don't know if I've realised mine, but I've certainly gone a long way towards realising some goals and some dreams.”

“If not for reverence, if not for wonder, if not for love, why have we come here?”