"While there is a chance of the world getting through its troubles, I hold that a reasonable man has to behave as though he were sure of it. If at the end your cheerfulness in not justified, at any rate you will have been cheerful."

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative."

"There is nothing in machinery, there is nothing in embankments and railways and iron bridges and engineering devices to oblige them to be ugly. Ugliness is the measure of imperfection."

"Cynicism is humor in ill health."

"If there was an observer on Mars, they would probably be amazed that we have survived this long."

"It is a radiant truth that a leader does not command the wind, but sets the sails and steadies the crew — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"I am rather in favour of dealing with teenage hooliganism."

"London is like a girlfriend I loved, then really fell out with."