My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people KNOW more... though I know that IS the noblest ambition... but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me... to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.

"For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone. They are like lonely persons. Not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven and Nietzsche. In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfil themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves. Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree. When a tree is cut down and reveals its naked death-wound to the sun, one can read its whole history in the luminous, inscribed disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years, its scars, all the struggle, all the suffering, all the sickness, all the happiness and prosperity stand truly written, the narrow years and the luxurious years, the attacks withstood, the storms endured. And every young farmboy knows that the hardest and noblest wood has the narrowest rings, that high on the mountains and in continuing danger the most indestructible, the strongest, the ideal trees grow.

My point is that love is the most powerful motivator in the world. It spurs mortals to greatness. Their noblest, bravest acts are done for love.

Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy," Wren said. "It's the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.

Is woman a religion? Well perhaps you will have the chance of judging for yourselves if you go to America. There you will find men treating women with just the same respect formerly accorded only to religious dignitaries or to great nobles.

There is that indescribable freshness and unconsciousness about an illiterate person that humbles and mocks the power of the noblest expressive genius.

There is nothing more corrupting nothing more destructive of the noblest and finest feelings of our nature than the exercise of unlimited power.

Music is part of us and either ennobles or degrades our behavior.

Almost all the noblest things that have been achieved in the world have been achieved by poor men poor scholars poor professional men poor artisans and artists poor philosophers poets and men of genius.

If God be God and man a creature made in image of the divine intelligence his noblest function is the search for truth.

It is not true that suffering ennobles the character happiness does that sometimes but suffering for the most part makes men petty and vindictive.

An honest God is the noblest work of man.

An honest man's the noblest work of God.

I will far rather see the race of man extinct than that we should become less than beasts by making the noblest of God's creation woman the object of our lust.

You may count on Mexico's support since your commitment to the noblest causes of mankind and your vast experience are and will be invaluable in enabling us together to achieve a better world.

America is an idea. And it's the solemn responsibility of each 'temporary' president to protect and nurture that noblest of all ideas - with integrity. This man Mitt Romney has shown - not through his experience but through his actions and words - that he is unqualified to carry out that responsibility.

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First by reflection which is noblest Second by imitation which is easiest and third by experience which is the bitterest.

Just what future the Designer of the universe has provided for the souls of men I do not know I cannot prove. But I find that the whole order of Nature confirms my confidence that if it is not like our noblest hopes and dreams it will transcend them.

Success in its highest and noblest form calls for peace of mind and enjoyment and happiness which come only to the man who has found the work that he likes best.

At his best man is the noblest of all animals separated from law and justice he is the worst.

The love of beauty in its multiple forms is the noblest gift of the human cerebrum.

At the beginning of the 20th century the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music which was then considered as the noblest art.

Anger may be kindled in the noblest breasts: but in these slow droppings of an unforgiving temper never takes the shape of consistency of enduring hatred.