Henry David Thoreau Quotes

Maybe a nation that consumes as much booze and dope as we do and has our kind of divorce statistics should pipe down about "character issues."

Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters.

I don't know how it started but someone must have noticed I was always chewing tobacco or smoking a pipe.

Men even contract the dirty, filthy habit of chewing tobacco, and when the habit gets a good hold upon them they are never satisfied except when they have a wad of the stuff in their mouth. So with drinking. It is largely a habit.

Humility is not my forte, and whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters.

In truth, to know oneself seems to be the hardest of all things. Not only our eye, which observes external objects, does not use the sense of sight upon itself, but even our mind, which contemplates intently another's sin, is slow in the recognition of its own defects.

Our judgments judge us, and nothing reveals us, exposes our weaknesses, more ingeniously than the attitude of pronouncing upon our fellows.

I smoke, isn't that terrible?

I tolerate my faults but not at all other people's.

Never slap a man who chews tobacco.

Every person is observant of the flaws of others and blind to his own flaws.

It's that evil twin part of me that always comes out at the absolute wrong political moment, like a demon possessing my soul; it exhibits itself as an arrogance or disdain or obnoxiousness or meanness or anger or pettiness - all traits that are lethal in politics.

One mustn't criticize other people on grounds where he can't stand perpendicular himself

Every man has a bag hanging before him, in which he puts his neighbour's faults, and another behind him in which he stows his own.

He that accuses all mankind of corruption ought to remember that he is sure to convict only one.

I can't help detesting my relations. I suppose it comes from the fact that none of us can stand other people having the same faults as ourselves.

I'm many things, most of 'em bad. But a man of political principles? No.

The vices we scoff at in others laugh at us within ourselves.

Most people use two totally different sets of criteria for judging themselves versus others. We tend to judge others according to their actions. It's very cut-and-dried. However, we judge ourselves by our intentions. Even if we do the wrong thing, if we believe our motives were good, we let ourselves off the hook. And we are often willing to do that over and over before requiring ourselves to change.

Don't use barbiturates before going on stage. And be honest.

It [Moonlight movie] deals with drug addiction, drug dealing, and single parenthood, but they are three dimensional characters. You understand where they are from and what they are trying to do with their lives. It is not a stereotype that has been pasted onto somebody. These are stories that come from Barry's [ Jenkins] and Tarell's [Alvin McCraney] mothers.

Children are like grown people; the experience of others is never of any use to them.

So many times I thought to myself, man, I never want to do drugs again. But I would never sacrifice any experience I've ever had on them, and I am not remorseful that I've done them. I would like to get more and more away from drugs.

I lived in Texas for 10 years. There were a lot of people chewing, including my dad.

Clean your finger before you point at my spots.