O. Henry

"The gift of money is pure poison—it destroys by enriching, curs by blessing."

"Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles winning out."

"The poorest man in New York is he who must eat a ten-dollar meal without having an appetite for it."

"A woman never quite forgives a man for being her savior."

"We are all doing penance for our sins in one way or another."

"Love is the greatest thing in the world, but it doesn't pay the rent."

"Success is the one unpardonable sin against our fellows."

"The secret of art is to correct nature."

"There are no times that are not times of trouble for those in trouble."

"A man must have something to do, something to look forward to, and something to love."

"Human nature is the same everywhere; it is a result of our animal instincts and our spiritual yearnings."

"The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it."

"Funny things happen to us all day long, if we're alive to see them."

"Politics makes strange companions but rarely makes friends."

"The small ills of life are as nothing compared to the joy of existence."

"Adventure may wear many shapes; the most dangerous form it takes is when it tries to save your soul."

"Beauty is cruel—it does not knock before entering, and it leaves behind the scars of a thousand regrets."

"We are all guilty of the same crimes, but the only difference is that we punish ourselves with different severities."

"Kindness is the only investment that never fails."

"The greatest thing in the world is a clear conscience, even if you have to bluff a little to get one."

"Time is the only thing we cannot spend faster than we earn it."

"Knowledge without application is like a tree without fruit."

"Patience is a virtue, but repetition is a vice."

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong in the broken places."

"Music is the universal language, and it speaks when words cannot."

"Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong."

"Peace comes not from the absence of conflict, but from the ability to manage it."

"Nature always wears the clothes that suit her best."

"Science has taught us many things, but it has not taught us how to live."

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do what you want him to do because he wants to do it."