Humans hardly ever learn from the experience of others. They learn - when they do, which isn't often - on their own, the hard way.

In a dilemma, it is helpful to change any variable, then reexamine the problem.

There is no such thing as luck; there is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe.

Delusions are often functional. A mother's opinions about her children's beauty, intelligence, goodness, et cetera ad nauseam, keep her from drowning them at birth.

The price of freedom is the willingness to do sudden battle anywhere, any time and with utter recklessness.

Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily.

I've never understood how God could expect His creatures to pick the one true religion by faith-it strikes me as a sloppy way to run a universe.