If the world was made for us, then it BELONGS to us and we can do what we damn well please with it.
Daniel QuinnIn fact, of course, there is no secret knowledge; no one knows anything that can't be found on a shelf in the public library.
Daniel Quinn[I]n Africa I was a member of a familyโof a sort of family that the people of your culture haven't known for thousands of years. If gorillas were capable of such an expression, they would tell you that their family is like a hand, of which they are the fingers. They are fully aware of being a family but are very little aware of being individuals. Here in the zoo there were other gorillasโbut there was no family. Five severed fingers do not make a hand.
Daniel QuinnIf you canโt discover whatโs keeping you in, the will to get out soon becomes confused and ineffectual - "Ishmael
Daniel QuinnIt's the idea that people living close to nature tend to be noble. It's seeing all those sunsets that does it. You can't watch a sunset and then go off and set fire to your neighbor's tepee. Living close to nature is wonderful for your mental health.
Daniel QuinnYou've been in love with someone for a decade - someone who barely knows you're alive. You've done everything, tried everything to make this person see that you're a valuable, estimable person, and that your love is worth something. Then one day you open the paper and glance at the Personals column, and there you see that your loved one has placed an ad... seeking someone worthwhile to love and be loved by.
Daniel Quinn