Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the headless monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.

Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the company of intelligent women.

The ignorant man is an ox. He grows in size, not in wisdom.

The wise man makes an island of himself that no flood can overwhelm.

Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.