History shows that the majority of people that have done anything great have passed their youth in seclusion.

Imagination is a poor matter when it has to part company with understanding.

Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight.

Nothing that was worthy in the past departs; no truth or goodness realized by man ever dies, or can die.

There is all the difference in the world between teaching children about religion and handing them over to be taught by the religious.

I certainly didn't say while writing 'Gossip Girl,' 'Oh this is going to be big!' It was really like, 'Oh god, everyone's gong to hate these people! They're so bratty!' But I actually think what is so appealing about them is the humor in them.

The Church controlled so much in Ireland for so long. I'm not going to get into whether or not religion per se is a bad thing, but my point is the political aspect in Ireland was way out of kilter, and it wasn't right.

Who says we can't win the World Cup and the Ashes in the same year? Oh yes we can. It all goes back to my motto in life: Be proud of how far you've come - and have faith in how far you can still go.