Charles Yerkes

"Work ennobles those with the temperament for it and destroys those without."

"Humor reveals truth in ways that earnestness never can."

"Love is the romanticization of need and the beautification of dependency."

"Family bonds are either strengthened by adversity or shattered by it."

"The railroad magnate understands that controlling infrastructure is controlling destiny."

"Courage is the willingness to act despite the odds against success."

"Those who waste time are ultimately wasted by time."

"Happiness is not a destination but a moment of satisfied ambition."

"Knowledge is power only to the extent that it can be converted into action."

"Every successful man stands upon the shoulders of those he has crushed beneath him."

"The student of history understands that progress is not inevitable but contingent."

"Success belongs to those who can make their own opportunities."

"Fire in the belly and cunning in the mind are the true prerequisites for greatness."

"Justice is merely the codification of power relationships."

"Beauty fades, but character either strengthens or weakens over time."

"The artist who works for money has become a craftsman; the craftsman is honest about his motives."

"Philosophical truth is less important than practical utility."

"Literature is the conversation between the dead and the living."