"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear."
— Socrates

"We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started."
— Henry Ward Beecher

"There are many people, particularly in sports, who think that success and excellence are the same thing. They are not the same thing. Excellence is something that is lasting and dependable and largely within a person's control. In contrast, success is perishable and is often outside our control. If you strive for excellence, you will probably be successful eventually. People who put excellence in the first place have the patience to end up with success. An additional burden for the victim of the success mentality is that he is threatened by the success of others and he resents real excellence. In contrast, the person that is fascinated by quality is excited when he sees it in others."
— Joe Paterno

"I have been to lots of parties
and acted perfectly disgraceful
but I never actually collapsed
oh Lana Turner we love you get up"
— Frank O'Hara

"To hate excellence is to hate the gods."
— Mary Renault (The Persian Boy)

"Learn the rules before you break them."
— Steven Taylor Goldsberry (The Writer's Book Of Wisdom: 101 Rules For Mastering Your Craft)