No, now he didn't want to let himself get too close because he knew it wasn't going to last. Good stuff never lasted. Change would come and wipe it away, and what was the point? It hurt too much every time it was ripped away and he was getting tired of losing pieces of himself. Pretty soon there wouldn't be much left, just scraps of gristle and bone without feeling. He didn't need that

You can't embrace your whole life if you're shut down. I found out that I can't just run away and shut down. I'm losing the rest of my life doing that.

Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our own, including logic and morality. Even among humans, morality is ignored when expedient. Why should we expect more from an alien life form than we demand from ourselves?

Poverty's potential for character building is far overrated.

You can’t embrace your whole life if you’re shut down.

Foolish heart, hear me calling. Stop before you start falling. Foolish heart, heed my warning; you've been wrong before. Don't be wrong anymore.

Teaching is the highest art; before the doctor, there was a teacher.