You’re probably wasting time on things like eating and sleeping. Cease that, and read all of philosophy and all of literature. Also art. Plus politics and a few other things. The history of everything.

I particularly scorn my fondness for paradox. I despise pessimism, narcissism, solipsism, truculence, word-play, and pusillanimity, my chiefer inclinations; loathe self-loathers ergo me; have no pity for self-pity and so am free of that sweet baseness. I doubt I am. Being me’s no joke.

I admire writers who can make complicated things simple, but my own talent has been to make simple things complicated.

Finally you begin to make your mistakes on the highest level-let's say the upper slopes of slippery Parnassus-and it's at that point you need coaching.

It is often pleasant to stone a martyr, no matter how much we may admire him.

Choosing is existence. To the extent that you don't choose, you don't exist.

not every boy thrown to the wolves becomes a hero.