Mel Brooks

"History is full of lessons if we're willing to learn them."

"Philosophy teaches us that there are more questions than answers."

"Literature is the most portable form of wisdom."

"Politics should be about service, not about power."

"War is a failure of human connection and understanding."

"Motivation is self-generated; inspiration comes from the world."

"Inspiration is everywhere if you slow down enough to see it."

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."

"Life literally abounds in comedy if you just look around. There's something funny happening on the street corner every minute, if you're looking for it."

"The most wonderful thing about true comedy is that it can transcend any boundary."

"I'm not interested in making movies for snobs. I want to reach people."

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."

"Everything that can be invented has been invented, but new ways of looking at old things are infinite."

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does."

"The funniest things in life are often the most painful truths."

"If you're quiet, you're not living. You have to speak up."

"Art is the greatest achievement of civilized society."

"I think we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

"The key to life is learning to deal with pain with a smile."

"Never underestimate the power of stupidity when it's channeled correctly."

"Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."

"Fear is the mother of all progress."

"You cannot create anything meaningful without understanding the past."

"The greatest inventions often come from the smallest observations."

"Life is too short to spend it being serious all the time."

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

"The ability to laugh at yourself is the greatest gift."

"Timing is everything in life, just like in comedy."

"Education opens doors that circumstance keeps locked."

"There's nothing wrong with vanity if it's channeled into doing good work."