At the beginning of human history, as we struggled to light fires and to chisel fallen trees into rudimentary canoes, who could have predicted that long after we had managed to send men to the moon and areoplanes to Australasia, we would still have such trouble knowing how to tolerate ourselves, forgive our loved ones, and apologise for our tantrums?

Status anxiety definitely exists at a political level. Many Iraqis were annoyed with the US essentially for reasons of status: for not showing them respect, for humiliating them.

One of the best protections against disappointment is to have a lot going on.

Being content is perhaps no less easy than playing the violin well: and requires no less practice.

It seems the only way to write a half decent book is to worry oneself sick on an hourly basis that one is producing a complete disaster.

It's clear to me that there is no good reason for many philosophy books to sound as complicated as they do.

Maturity: knowing where you're crazy, trying to warn others of the fact and striving to keep yourself under control.