8 Barbara Bush quotes that will surprise you

Former First Lady Barbara Bush has died at the age of 92, and what an impact she left on the world.

She once jokingly agreed that her son George W Bush was “dumb as a fox”. But behind her jokes, she was known for her “tough mind, cutting tongue [and] a domestic political grasp on occasion more acute than that of her sometimes out-of-touch husband”.

Here are some of her best quotes:

1. On life

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a children, or a parent.

-To the Wellesley College graduating class, 1 June 1990

2. On handing reporters

Avoid this crowd like the plague. And if they quote you, make damn sure they heard you.

-To Hillary Clinton on handling reporters as first lady, 24 August, 1992

3. On having children

You have to love your children unselfishly. That’s hard. But it’s the only way.

4. On hard work

You don’t just luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it’s friendships or opportunities.

5. On being true to yourself

Why be afraid of what people will say? Those who care about you will say, Good luck! and those who care only about themselves will never say anything worth listening to anyway.

6. On education

If more people could read, write, and comprehend, we could be much closer to solving so many of the other problems our country faces today.

7. On Charity

8. On success

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.

8. On Bill Clinton

A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is.

More: Students once tried to mock Barbara Bush. She had the ultimate response.

More: 12 of the most inspiring Stephen Hawking quotes to live your life by