People don't just want to feel satisfied. They actually want to act.

People have a deep need to be legislators, and the idea of autonomy has become very precious.

The Greek tragedies and comedies are like a roadmap to all the ways in which trying to live this rich, full life can go wrong. You could get into a war. You could find that you have members of your family on the wrong side of a political crisis. You could be raped. You could find that your child has gone crazy because of some horrible experience she's had.

After all, the nation is not just an entity. It's a story. It's a story of what's salient, what brought us together, what we are willing to live and die for.

You can’t really change the heart without telling a story.

Knowledge is no guarantee of good behavior, but ignorance is a virtual guarantee of bad behavior.

Singapore and China, which don't want to encourage democratic citizenship, are expanding their humanities curricula. These reforms are all about developing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.