Most people, in my opinion, steal much of what they are. If they didn't what poor items they would be.

History isn't the lies of the victors, as I once glibly assured Old Joe Hunt; I know that now. It's more the memories of the survivors, most of whom are neither victorious or defeated.

But then you begin to understand that the reward of merit is not life’s business.

Women scheme when they are weak, they lie out of fear. Men scheme when they are strong, they lie out of arrogance.

To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness.

When you are young, you think that the old lament the deterioration of life because this makes it easier for them to die without regret. When you are old, you become impatient with the way in which the young applaud the most insignificant improvements … while remaining heedless of the world’s barbarism. I don’t say things have got worse; I merely say the young wouldn’t notice if they had. The old times were good because then we were young, and ignorant of how ignorant the young can be.

But life never lets you go, does it? You can't put down life the way you put down a book.