Similarly, knowledge of the future was incompatible with free will. What made it possible for me to exercise freedom of choice also made it impossible for me to know the future. Conversely, now that I know the future, I would never act contrary to that future, including telling others what I know: those who know the future don't talk about it. Those who've read the Book of Ages never admit to it.
Ted ChiangFour things do not come back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life, and the neglected opportunity.
Ted ChiangNothing 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 Chiang