And then he thought: Is this how idiots rationalize their stupidity to themselves?

Twisted and perverse are the ways of the human mind," Jane intoned. "Pinocchio was such a dolt to try to become a real boy. He was much better off with a wooden head.

And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.

I say this as a Democrat, for whom the Republican domination of government threatens many values that I hold to be important to America's role as a light among nations. But there are no values that matter to me that will not be gravely endangered if we lose this war.

There's only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that's being so good at what you do that they can't ignore you

Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.

In a way she actually preferred Peter to other people because of this. He always acted out of intelligent self-interest.