Morals were restrictive, but they were grounded on human experience.

It’s hard to drink when you dance. And it’s hard to dance when you drink.

Knowledge is knowing as little as possible.

And yet women-good women--frightened me because they eventually wanted your soul, and what was left of mine, I wanted to keep.

Never bring a lot of money to where a poor man lives. He can only lose what little he has. On the other hand it is mathematically possible that he might win whatever you bring with you. What you must do, with money and the poor, is never let them get too close to one another.

Things get bad for all of us, almost continually, and what we do under the constant stress reveals who/what we are.

the best often die by their own hand just to get away, and those left behind can never quite understand why anybody would ever want to get away from them