Genius borrows nobly. When Shakespeare is charged with debts to his authors, Landor replies: “Yet he was more original than his originals. He breathed upon dead bodies and brought them into life”.

The intellect is vagabond, and our system of education fosters restlessness.

There is no knowledge that is not power.

Men are what their mothers made them.

Skill to do comes of doing.

The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.

So is cheerfulness, or a good temper, the more it is spent, the more remains.

No great man ever complains of want of opportunity.

Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in the shooting of the gulf, in the darting to an aim.

Success treads on every right step. For the instinct is sure, that prompts him to tell his brother what he thinks. He then learns, that in going down into the secrets of his own mind, he has descended into the secrets of all minds.

Who would thought only of themselves and kill their race? You would hate other people if you don't want to stay who you are.

You got black people in an all-white country and they don't know nothing about themselves.

I don't consider myself no attractive man. People like Tom Jones and Elvis Presley - I'm not nothing like that.

People sold everything - their cars, their land for miles, to come in and see me beat. I went to the bank laughing every time.

How come the Chinese can go where I can't go in America? Englishmen can come and set up a business in white America and do things I can't do.The Puerto Rican, Hawaiians, just about everybody can do more than black people and are more respected.

I have more fans and more followers and more supporters. Because the people who actually saw the Joe Frazier Muhammad Ali fight, they saw me win at least nine rounds - the people who know boxing.

It's impossible for 30 million black people to be violent against 170 million - we need a mental revolution, unity in coming together, and not physical.

Number one comes freedom first for my people and equality. And this is what I plan to do after I'm through fighting - working with nothing but the people, the little people in the alleys: the downtrodden people, going out and helping them with my image.

God works through people. It’s not me.

I'm the greatest fighter in the entire world, how can I be afraid? I love people and people love me.

The word had spread and people were piling around us. But then very suddenly, Sonny Liston froze me with that look of his. He said real quiet, 'Let's go on over here.' And he led the way to a table and the people hung back. I ain't going to lie. This was the only time since I have known Sonny Liston that he really scared me.

I do need publicity but not for what I do for good. I need publicity for my book. I need publicity for my fights. I need publicity for my movie but not for helping people. Then it is no longer sincere.

To the people that have said I'm too small, I'm not fast enough, I don't have what it takes, I'm not strong enough. THANK YOU

People will know you’re serious when you produce.

What’s my greatest weakness? Sad stories, people with problems

There's nothing stressful about turning 50 except people reminding you about it.

Some people have special resources inside, and when God blesses you to have more than others, you have a responsibility to use it right

The world badly needs more peaceful and loving men like Sri Chinmoy. I am a Muslim and he is serving all people of peace. Sri Chinmoy is doing so much for the world, for people of all faiths, because of his own peace and faith.

Islam is against killing, terrorism, and murder. People who commit these acts in the name of Islam are wrong. And if I had a chance I would do something about it.

Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God.

Character is higher than intellect.[…] A great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think.

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own.

The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness.

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.

Shallow men believe in luck or circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.

The imitator dooms himself to hopeless mediocrity. The inventor did it because it was natural to him, and so in him it has a charm.

The man who renounces himself, comes to himself.

The good news is that the moment you decide that what you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe, you will have shifted gears in your quest for abundance. Success comes from within, not from without.

I hate to be defended in a newspaper. As long as all that is said is said against me, I feel a certain assurance of success. But as soon as honeyed words of praise are spoken for me, I feel as one that lies unprotected before his enemies.

There's a reason I'm known - to bring people to Allah, to God.

Islam is against killing, terrorism, and murder. People who commit these acts in the name of Islam are wrong. And if I had a chance I would do something about it.

This relationship will help guarantee that, for generations to come, people of all nations will understand my beliefs and my purpose

Nobody has to tell me that this is a serious business. I'm not fighting one man. I'm fighting a lot of men, showing a lot of 'em, here is one man they couldn't defeat, couldn't conquer. My mission is to bring freedom to 30m black people

People don't realise what they had till it's gone. Like President Kennedy - nobody like him. Like The Beatles, there will never be anything like them. Like my man, Elvis Presley - I was the Elvis of boxing.

Fighting by itself doesn't interest me anymore. I want to help people, the black people and I need any kind of media to spread my thought: God, charity, peace.

It's the lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.

Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.

The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years

I believe in the holy Koran. It says we declare ourselves to be righteous Muslims and do not take part in wars, or in no way fashion or form take the lives of humans unless it's a holy war declared by God himself.