“Man finds it hard to get what he wants, because he does not want the best; God finds it hard to give, because He would give the best, and man will not take it.”

The Philosophical Emperor, a Political Experiment, or, The Progress of a False Position: (1841)
Context: Man soon finds what he wants to find. If he cannot find it otherwise, he creates it for his special enjoyment: for instance, if a man wants to see a ghost, he need only promulge his wish some night around a decaying fire, with a few alarmed and shocked listeners. Then let him ascend in the dark to a remote chamber, carefully looking over his shoulder every few moments; and if he will not see a ghost, he will feel as if he saw one, and that will be tantamount thereto.

Another Roadside Attraction (1971)

Of Regimen of Health
Essays (1625)

Source: Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives

Source: The Fires of Heaven

Statement, Washington, D.C., (July 26, 2001); as quoted in the Seattle Seattle Post-Intelligencer (July 27, 2001) http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/32902_bush27.shtml.
2000s, 2001

Source: Sapphique

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966)
Source: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress