“A genius is simply one who has taken full possession of his own mind and directed it toward objectives of his own choosing, without permitting outside influences to discourage or mislead him.”

“A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.”

“Genius is a sovereign power; it forms schools; it lays hold on the spirits of men, with irresistible might; and it exercises an immeasurable influence on the whole condition of human life. This sovereignty of genius is a gift of God, possessed only by his grace. It is subject to no one and is responsible to him alone who has granted it this ascendancy.”

“He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation. He who chooses his plan for himself, employs all his faculties.”

“The man who has a library of his own collection is able to contemplate himself objectively, and is justified in believing in his own existence.”

“No one is easier to manipulate than a man who exaggerates his own influence.”