James Hilton, Lost Horizon

"We believe that to govern perfectly it is necessary to avoid governing too much."

"It seemed to him that the little Manchu had never looked so radiant. She gave him a most charming smile, but her eyes were all for the boy."

"You were contemplating the mountain, Mr. Conway" Came the inquiry."Yes, it's a fine sight. It has a name, I suppose"It is called Karakal"I don't think I've ever heard of it. Is is very high"Over twenty-eight thousand feet."Indeed? I didn't realize there would be anything on that scale outside the Himalayas. Has it been properly surveyed? Whose are the measurements"Whose would you expect, my dear sir? Is there anything incompatible between monasticism and trigonometry?"

"Then the whole range, much nearer now, paled into fresh splendor; a full moon rose, touching each peak in succession like some celestial lamplighter, until the long horizon glittered against a blue-black sky."

"If I could put it into a very few words, dear sir, I should say that our prevalent belief is in moderation. We inculcate the virtue of avoiding excesses of all kinds—even including, if you will pardon the paradox, excess of virtue itself."

"People make mistakes in life through believing too much, but they have a damned dull time if they believe too little."