On the whole, I think you should write biographies of those you admire and respect, and novels about human beings who you think are sadly mistaken.

Duty is what no-one else will do at the moment.

I believe that people should write biographies only about people they love, or understand, or both. Novels, on the other hand, are often better if they're about people the writer doesn't like very much.

Morality is seldom a safe guide for human conduct.

On the whole, I think you should write biographies of those you admire and respect, and novels about human beings who you think are sadly mistaken.

More than that, I believe that the grass is green because green is restful to the human eye, that the sky is blue to give us an idea of the infinite. And that blood is red so that murder will be more easily detected and criminals will be brought to justice. Yes, and I believe that I shall live forever, but I shall live without reason.

It's very good for an idea to be commonplace. The important thing is that a new idea should develop out of what is already there so that it soon becomes an old acquaintance. Old acquaintances aren't by any means always welcome, but at least one can't be mistaken as to who or what they are.