People are in one of two states in a relationship,” Gottman went on. “The first is what I call positive sentiment override, where positive emotion overrides irritability. It’s like a buffer. Their spouse will do something bad, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s just in a crummy mood.’ Or they can be in negative sentiment override, so that even a relatively neutral thing that a partner says gets perceived as negative.

Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities.

Nobody accomplishes success by themselves.

Bad improvisers block action, often with a high degree of skill. Good improvisers develop action.

Science fiction annoyed me because it was like, "Why is the world as it is not enough for you?"

Sometimes constraints actually create success. Not being able to swim made me run. And running taught me the discipline I needed as a writer.

By shifting the balance away from the individual we open the door for the individual. Because we make it obvious that anyone can do it given the right circumstance.