“Those who put more effort into keep­ing negatives out of mind end up being more depressed than those who do not.”

“Lily kept her smile. She knew a little something about loss and what it was all about in the end. She searched for her answers in those items left behind.”

“Too late to point out that he would be better off with someone smart and sweet and—okay—awkward than with Chelsea. Someone who could make him laugh. Someone like, oh, I dunno, me!”

“The greatest minds are like film, they take the negatives and develop themselves in darkness...”

“There are no negatives in life, only challenges to overcome that will make you stronger.”

“No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.”

“ [Mr. Bates comments on the description of Robespierre in History of the French Revolution by M. J. L. Adolphe Thiers]He was a living proof that[,] in civil troubles, obstinate mediocrity is more powerful than the irregularity of genius. It is not only in civil troubles but in all the affairs of life, that obstinate mediocrity triumphs over irregular genius, and enjoys the fruits of victory.The Diary of Edward Bates, Entry for March 7, 1865, Edited by Howard K. Beale”