Withhold admiration from a narcissist and be disliked. Give it and be treated with indifference.
Anybody can lead a frivolous life. A frivolous writer, however, must have taste and intelligence.
If "there is no harm in asking," why guilt and fear when we do so?
Literature gives us a memory of lives we did not lead.
Lying just for the fun of it is either art or pathology.
Holding unconventional opinions makes people feel they have strong characters.