Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It's the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost. And that someone else's pain is as meaningful as your own.

When I was growing up particularly during puberty in my teen years I was so miserable because I elicited so much teasing and meanness from my teenage cohorts.

There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable for in politics there is no honour.

It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men kindness and generosity openness honesty understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest sharpness greed acquisitiveness meanness egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.

The high-spirited man may indeed die but he will not stoop to meanness. Fire though it may be quenched will not become cool.