I had ambition not only to go farther than any man had ever been before, but as far as it was possible for a man to go.

All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind.

How does one kill fear, I wonder? How do you shoot a specter through the heart, slash off its spectral head, take it by its spectral throat?

It is to be remarked that a good many people are born curiously unfitted for the fate waiting them on this earth.

Only individual creativity can bring about real social development.

Boxing gave me a path in life. Because of boxing, I learned what I'm capable of achieving if I put my mind to it and how hard work can and will pay off in the end. It gave me confidence and taught me to face fear straight on and dig down deep when times get tough.

I think happiness really happens when you least expect it: it's when you're not really thinking about it, when you're not trying to achieve it, when you're not trying to get the perfect holiday, the perfect life, the perfect body, the perfect existence.

There's a beauty to wisdom and experience that cannot be faked. It's impossible to be mature without having lived.