William Butler Yeats

Why should we honour those that die upon the field of battle? A man may show as reckless a courage in entering into the abyss of himself.

The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart.

Choose your companions from the best Who draws a bucket with the rest soon topples down the hill.

I have believed the best of every man. And find that to believe is enough to make a bad man show him at his best, or even a good man swings his lantern higher.

People who lean on logic and philosophy and rational exposition end by starving the best part of the mind.

The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

One should not lose one's temper unless one is certain of getting more and more angry to the end.

The light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed, the shadow of shadows on the deed alone.

You that would judge me, do not judge alone this book or that, come to this hallowed place where my friends' portraits hang and look thereon Ireland's history in their lineaments trace think where man's glory most begins and ends and say my glory was I had such friends.

I am of a healthy long lived race, and our minds improve with age.