W. Somerset Maugham: "Nothing in the world..."

"Nothing in the world is permanent and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we are still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it."

—W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

W. Somerset Maugham: "I've never much minded..."

"I’ve never much minded if people thought I was a bit of a fool."

—W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

W. Somerset Maugham: "Unfortunately, sometimes one cannot..."

"Unfortunately, sometimes one cannot do what one thinks is right without making someone else unhappy."

—W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

W. Somerset Maugham: "If I ever acquire..."

"If I ever acquire wisdom, I suppose I shall be wise enough to know what to do with it."

—W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

W. Somerset Maugham: "We who are of..."

"We who are of mature age seldom suspect how unmercifully and yet with what insight the very young judge us."

—W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

Emily Bronte: "He's more myself than..."

"He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same… If all else perished and he remained, I should still continue to be, and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a might stranger… He’s always, always in my mind; not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."

—Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

Herman Hesse: "The world is perfect..."

"The world is perfect at every moment.  Every sin already contains grace within it, all little children already have an old person in them, every infant has death within it, and all dying people have within them eternal life. It is not possible to see in another person how far along the way he is. In the bandit & dice player, a Buddha is waiting; in the Brahmin, a bandit. In the depths of meditation lies the possibility of cutting though time, of seeing the simultaneity of all past, present, future life; and within that, everything is good, all is perfect, all is Brahman. Thus I see whatever is as good. I see that life & death, sin & holiness, intelligence & foolishness, must be as they are. It only requires my consent, my willingness, my loving acceptance & it will be good for me, can never harm me. Let it be. Love it. Be glad to be a part."


—Herman Hesse, Siddhartha

Josh Kilmer-Purcell: "Things in New York..."

"Things in New York City sparkle a lot longer than you’d expect before they burn out."

—Josh Kilmer-Purcell, I Am Not Myself These Days

Christopher Moore: "Scratch a cynic and..."

"Scratch a cynic and you’ll find a disappointed romantic."

—Christopher Moore, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

Julia Cho: "It is good to..."

"It is good to be good at the small things, for the larger things can be quite heartbreaking."

—Julia Cho, The Piano Teacher

James Heaton: "This is to my..."

"This is to my mind an extremely good illustration of what good branding does as opposed to what advertising typically does, and why branding based on the truth can be so much more effective with so much less money. Good branding involves understanding the truth of a product or service and finding the best ways to communicate this to those naturally receptive to hearing it."

—James Heaton, Life and Pecans: Why Truth Matters

James Heaton: "By telling the true..."

"By telling the true story of [the organization and its products and services], they should almost sell themselves, generating referrals, buzz and PR, not because they are advertised a lot, but because they are truly good and when people find truly good things they spread the word."

—James Heaton, The Business of Demand Creation