"Where compassion abides, fear and resentment lose their dominion. A lesson woven into the fabric of human history — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"It is a subtle truth that the distance between ambition and reality is bridged solely by consistent effort."

"It is a radiant truth that time is the most impartial judge; it reveals all pretenses and rewards all patience — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"It is a humble truth that breathe deeply, anchor your attention in this breath, and let the storm pass."

"Do I dare set forth here the most important, the most useful rule of all education? It is not to save time, but to squander it."

"It has to do - I think - with growing up in an apartment, with my aunt and my cousins right next door to me, with the door open, with neighbors walking in and out, with people yelling at each other all the time."

"I think it's best if there's an amendment that goes on the ballot where the people can weigh in. Every time this issue has gone on the ballot, the people have voted to retain the traditional definition of marriage as recently as California in 2008."

"Space or science fiction has become a dialect for our time."