And the only thing to do with a sin is to confess, do penance and then, after some kind of decent interval, ask for forgiveness.

Men make history, but they can never know the history they are making.

[quoting someone else] the American constitution is a document designed by geniuses to be eventually interpreted by idiots

Even in the best of lives, mistakes are made.

I would say readers can trust my work more than anyone else's.

Lincoln once said that America was founded on a proposition that was written by Jefferson in 1776. We are really founded on an argument about what that proposition means.

Some models of self-control are able to achieve their serenity easily because the soul fires never burn brightly to begin with.

I deeply regret having let stand and later confirming the assumption that I went to Vietnam. For this and any other distortions about my personal life, I want to apologize to my family, friends, colleagues and students. Beyond that circle, however, I shall have no further comment.