“Socrates said the perfect society would be based on a great lie. People would be told that lie from the cradle, and they would believe it, because human beings need to make order out of chaos.”

“He expected too much from people, that was the problem, Ethan thought. He expected too much from life.”

“Music is art, and art is an integral part of the human experience.”

“Words are real. Even if you can't see them, or hold them. Once you send them out in the world, they have power. Never speak words you don't mean.”

“It’s all going to be okay. She would like to hear that now, even if it was a lie. Because some lies are beautiful. Stories do not tell you that.”

“Truth is a risky proposition. It's the nature of mediocre human beings to believe that lies are necessary, that they serve a purpose, that truth is subversive, that candor is dangerous, that the very scaffold of communal life is supported by lies.”

“When we did art with the kids, the demons would lie down.”