The previously unloved may find it hard to believe that they are now loved; that is such a miracle, they feel; such a miracle.

The people with the strong, brave exteriors are just as weak and vulnerable as the rest of us. And of course they never admit to their childish practices, their moments of weakness or absurdity, and then the rest of us think that's how it should be.

Talking about pumpkins doesn't make them grow.

I am often thanked by people for inventing the term traditionally built. The people who give me thanks for this are often traditionally built themselves.

It is not enough just to identify a problem; there are plenty of people who were very skilled at pointing out what was wrong with the world, but they were not always so adept at working out how these things could be righted.

Self-pity does not appreciate pedantry.

But don't we often lie to people we love, or not tell them things, precisely because we love them?