I have learned throughout my life as a composer chiefly through my mistakes and pursuits of false assumptions, not by my exposure to founts of wisdom and knowledge.

There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.

Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.

Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.

Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.

The greater difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.

The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.

A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.

To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony.