This is how humans are: We question all our beliefs, except for the ones that we really believe in, and those we never think to question.

There is no society that does not highly value fictional storytelling. Ever.

But the truth is that no person ever understands another, from beginning to end of life, there is no truth that can be known, only the story we imagine to be true, the story they really believe to be true about themselves; and all of them lies.

I be crazy too, little buddy, but at least when I be craziest, I be floating all alone in space and the crazy, she float out of me, she soak into the walls, and she don't come out till there be battles and little boys bump into the walls and squish out de crazy.

Life is full of grief, to exactly the degree we allow ourselves to love other people.

Does it help if we're so strong-willed, stubborn, ambitious, and selfish that we always overcome everything in our way no matter what?" asked Wang-mu. "I think those are the pertinent virtues, yes," said Peter. "Then let's do it. That's us in spades.

The only people who ever prize purity of ignorance are those who profit from a monopoly on knowledge.