Nothing erases the past. There is repentance, there is atonement, and there is forgiveness. That is all, but that is enough.
Ted ChiangIt is a misconception to think that during evolution humans sacrificed physical skill in exchange for intelligence: wielding one's body is a mental activity.
Ted ChiangWomen who work with animals hear this all the time: that their love for animals must arise out of a sublimated child-rearing urge. Ana's tired of the stereotype. She likes children just fine, but they're not the standard against which all other accomplishments should be measured. Caring for animals is worthwhile in and of itself, a vocation that need offer no apologies.
Ted Chiang