She didn't like to be talked about. Equally, she didn't like not to be talked about, when the high-minded chatter rushed on as though she was not there. There was no pleasing her, in fact. She had the grace, even at eleven, to know there was no pleasing her. She thought a lot, analytically, about other people's feelings, and had only just begun to realize that this was not usual, and not reciprocated.

Novels arise out of the shortcomings of History.

Once you get older, people stop listening to what you say. It's very agreeable once you get used to it.

Harm can come about without will or action. But will and action can avert harm.

Everything is surprising, rightly seen.

I don't like gurus. I don't like people who ask you to follow or believe. I like people who ask you to think independently.

I worry about anthropomorphism as a form of self-deception. (The Christian religion is an anthropomorphic account of the universe.)