Matthew McConaughey is one of the most fascinating leading men in Hollywood--here's a few smart life lessons he's learned over the years.

1.) "A man should always have his diary on him. That way he's guaranteed to always have something incredible to read."

2.) "Never feel built up by someone else's failure--that's a cheap thrill."

3.) "Life is a series of commas, not periods."

4.) "A creep is someone who claims he's one thing but he's actually another."

5.) "My wife and I don't compete. We know each other's preferences, and we work to provide those for each other. One will take over when the other is faced with something he or she dislikes. That's what friends do."

6.) "Even as a kid, I wore J.C. Penney plain-pocket jeans because they were plain pockets. You don't want anybody's name on your backside."

7.) "Kids will remind you that, even though you've gone down a road 100 times, it's brand new for them - and that's healthy."

8.) "What are the two sports you can do till you drop? Golf and surfing. They're great for you limber-wise, they're great for you health-wise, and they put you in sweet locations."

9.) "Don't over-leverage yourself. Don't say you can do something when you really can't."

10.) "There's two sorts of fear: one you embrace and one you should listen to and turn the other way."

11.) "The good part about jealousy is that it comes from passion. It's also the dangerous part and it's an ugly emotion that hurts."

12.) "We have a big appetite for putting people down but, at the heart of everyone, there's enough room for all of us to succeed."

13.) "Break one sweat a day."

14.) "Vanity is great motivation."

15.) "You want to be a writer? Start writing. You want to be a filmmaker? Start shooting stuff on your phone right now."

16.) "There's a difference in thinking you are a champion and knowing that you are."

17.) "The best advice comes from people who don't give advice."