Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
Mark Twain is one of my favorite American authors and humorists. Below is a list of some his most famous sayings:
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
Be good and you will be lonesome.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Lao Tzu
In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.
Here are some of my favorites from his most imspiring quotes:
Beautiful words aren't always truthful, truthful words aren't always beautiful.
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.
Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
Want to see more quotes from Mark Twain or Lao Tzu?
Twain's Brief Biography from Wikipedia
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pseudoname name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is most famous for his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is often called "the Great American Novel." Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. He apprenticed with a printer. He also worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his older brother Orion's newspaper. After toiling as a printer in various cities, he became a master riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River before heading west to join Orion. He was a failure at gold mining, so he next turned to journalism. While a reporter, he wrote a humorous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," which became very popular and brought nationwide attention. His travelogues were also well received. Twain had found his calling. He achieved great success as a writer and public speaker. His wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. Though Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, he invested in ventures that lost a great deal of money. Twain was born during a visit by Halley's Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it," too. He died the day following the comet's subsequent return. He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age," and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."
Tzu's Brief Biography from Wikipedia
Laozi was a philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching.His association with the Tào Té Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of philosophical Taoism. He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of Taoist philosophy, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or "One of the Three Pure Ones". According to Chinese traditions, Laozi lived in the 6th century BCE. Some historians contend that he actually lived in the 5th–4th century BCE, concurrent with the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period, while some others argue that Laozi is a synthesis of multiple historical figures or that he is a mythical figure. A central figure in Chinese culture, both nobility and common people claim Laozi in their lineage. He was honored as an ancestor of the Tang imperial family, and was granted the title Táishang xuanyuán huángdì, meaning "Supreme Mysterious and Primordial Emperor". Throughout history, Laozi's work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.