“Pessimists are the people who have no hope for themselves or for other...” — James Baldwin Quote

“Pessimists are the people who have no hope for themselves or for others. Pessimists are also people who think the human race is beneath their notice, that they're better than other human beings.”

“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.”

“The making of an American begins at the point where he himself rejects all other ties, any other history, and himself adopts the vesture of his adopted land.”

“Too many people hold a very narrow view of what motivates us. They believe that the only way to get us moving is with the jab of a stick or the promise of a carrot. But if you look at over 50 years of research on motivation, or simply scrutinize your own behavior, it's pretty clear human beings are more complicated than that.”

“I don't believe in good human beings, but I believe you can have structures that make it easier to make the right choice or the wrong choice.”

“This foundational principle - that human beings derive their rights from God, rather than from the State, or any other source - is what made America different.”