“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”

“Sometimes the best way to find out what we want is to choose what we do not want.”

“I always advise people never to give advice.”

“Published in this month's Harper's, from a conversation held in Beijing in February 1973:Chairman Mao Zedong: Do you want our Chinese women? We can give you ten million.U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger: The chairman is improving his offer.Mao: We can let them flood your country with disaster and therefore impair your interests. In our country we have too many women, and they have a way of doing things. They give birth to children, and our children are too many.”

“I have found it advisable not to give too much heed to what people say when I am trying to accomplish something of consequence. Invariably they proclaim it can't be done. I deem that the very best time to make the effort.”

“I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”