George C. Marshall

"The only way to get the best out of a man is to look for the best that is in him and by so doing, you add to his self-respect."

"Do not, I beg you, become bitter or hardened, no matter what happens."

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and smiles instead, for he alone knows what he is thinking of."

"The real test of a civilization is not the census, nor the size of cities, but the kind of man the country turns out."

"Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends."

"Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible."

"A man is only as good as his word."

"There is nothing worse than the fear of death."

"One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often."

"In a democracy, argument is a right; but it can be abused. It is our duty to check it."

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."

"There is no more certain sign of a great mind than the ability to admit a mistake."

"We must have strong minds, armed with strong weapons."

"Education is not to teach people what to think, but how to think."

"I have little patience with scientists who take a board of wood, look for its thinnest part, and drill there."

"The man who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life's mountaintop experiences."

"It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight so that matters."

"Morale is the greatest single factor in successful war."

"Preparedness is the best insurance of peace."

"The stakes are too high for government to be a spectator sport."

"A man is judged by his actions, not his words."

"The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy."

"We must be careful not to make the intellectual content of religion seem irrelevant."

"The responsibility of the great states is to serve, not to dominate, the world."

"Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself."

"Freedom is not free."

"The use of force is always an instrument of failure when the primary function of force is substituted for the creation of a world of law and order."

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating a cake or writing a poem is just as worthy as climbing a mountain or composing a symphony."

"In battle, nothing is ever as good or as bad as the first reports of excited men would have it."

"There are three rules of warcraft: first, to improve your position; second, to do all you can with all you have; third, to do all you can to prevent hostility."