Paying tax should be framed as a glorious civic duty worthy of gratitude - not a punishment for making money.

Those who divorce aren't necessarily the most unhappy, just those neatly able to believe their misery is caused by one other person.

There may be significant things to learn about people by looking at what annoys them most.

Feeling lost, crazy and desperate belongs to a good life as much as optimism, certainty and reason.

One rarely falls in love without being as much attracted to what is interestingly wrong with someone as what is objectively healthy.

It's very hard to respect people on holiday - everybody looks so silly at the beach, it makes you hate humanity - but when you see people at their work they elicit respect, whether it's a mechanic, a stonemason or an accountant.

When work is not going well, it's useful to remember that our identities stretch beyond what is on the business card, that we were people long before we became workers - and will continue to be human once we have put our tools down forever.