Incompetence annoys me. Overconfidence terrifies me.

Happiness, in one sense, is a function of how closely our world conforms to the infinite variety of human preference.

You can learn as much - or more - from one glance at a private space as you can from hours of exposure to a public face.

Success is deeply rooted in time and place. You may have the drive to read tons of books on biology. But if there are no books on biology in your library, and the library is never open, your drive is meaningless.

If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes.

If you don't contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you're not thinking.

The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. It makes a difference where and when we grew up.