It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past.

Why do I do anything?' she says. 'I'm educated enough to talk myself out of any plan. To deconstruct any fantasy. Explain away any goal. I'm so smart I can negate any dream.

I know this because Tyler knows this.

Everyone wants to be tested and challenged. Everyone would like a good, honest fight to exhaust their frustrations.

To merely observe your culture without contributing to it seems very close to existing as a ghost.

It's because we're so trapped in our culture, in the being of being human on this planet with the brains we have, and the same two arms and legs everybody has. We're so trapped that any way we could imagine to escape would be just another part of the trap. Anything we want, we're trained to want.