Give me an adventure. I'm not talking about some massive adventure. Just something that would make getting fired seem small. Something that I might remember when I'm old." "I can't predict the future," I said, "but based on what little I know so far, I'm afraid it has to be a massive adventure or nothing." "Great!" "Probably the kind of adventure that ends in a mass burial.
Neal StephensonI actually don't think that there is a connection between the survival instinct and a hunger for immortality.
Neal StephensonOur opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs," I said. "We have a protractor.
Neal StephensonJust as an informal, nonscientific observation, most people's personalities don't seem to change very much during their lives. There are exceptions in the case of people who go through hugely traumatic events or suffer from brain injury or disease. Some would argue that religious conversions can have deep personality-altering effects. But these are all exceptions to the rule.
Neal StephensonMiddle class prosperity is lapidary; the flow of cash rounds and smooths a person like water does riverbed stones.
Neal StephensonAny strategy that involves crossing a valley accepting short-term losses to reach a higher hill in the distance will soon be brought to a halt by the demands of a system that celebrates short-term gains and tolerates stagnation, but condemns anything else as failure. In short, a world where big stuff can never get done.
Neal Stephenson