Frederick the Great

"A secret shared is no longer a secret; trust is the rarest currency."

"Money is the sinews of war and the chains of peace."

"I would rather fail in an attempt at something great than succeed in something mediocre."

"The greatest adventures are those taken in the mind through reading and learning."

"Death is merely the final conversation with the infinite."

"To love is to surrender power; therefore, few kings truly love."

"History is written by those who can best articulate their victories."

"The pursuit of perfection is the poison of progress."

"Every moment of pleasure contains within it the seed of future pain."

"A nation's greatness is measured not by its armies, but by its scholars."

"Justice without mercy is cruelty; mercy without justice is cowardice."

"The imagination is humanity's greatest invention."

"To inspire greatness in others, one must first demonstrate it oneself."

"I have learned more from my failures than from all my victories combined."

"Beauty fades, but a sharp mind endures forever."

"The measure of a ruler is how well he sleeps at night."

"Science without philosophy is mere collection; philosophy without science is mere speculation."

"To serve the state is to serve something greater than oneself."

"I tolerate all religions, but I believe in none completely."

"The strongest weapon is an idea whose time has come."

"A promise broken is a life diminished."

"The art of war is the art of deception and precision."

"Gratitude is the memory of a noble heart."

"Every man has the right to be wrong, but not the right to harm others."

"The creative mind is restless; it cannot be bound by convention."

"Peace is the hardest victory to achieve."

"A well-placed joke can accomplish what a hundred arguments cannot."

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today."

"In solitude, I find the counsel I seek from no advisor."

"To rule with kindness is to rule with strength that will endure."