We envy only those whom we feel ourselves to be like; we envy only members of our reference group. There are few successes more unendurable than those of our close friends.

The genius of religions is that they structure the inner life.

Despite its maddeningly vague, inarticulate form, anxiety is almost always trying to tell you something useful and apposite.

The arrogance that says analysing the relationship between reasons and causes is more important than writing a philosophy of shyness or sadness or friendship drives me nuts. I can't accept that.

It's hard loving those who don't much like themselves: "If you're so great, why would you think I'm so great.

As victims of hurt, we frequently don't bring up what ails us, because so many wounds look absurd in the light of day.

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.