“Trouble is our only defense against boredom.”
“A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles.”
“The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.”
“I don't believe in science. Science is our defense against belief.”
“Only now do I understand the war against boredom, the lost cause of empty hours, of empty days and nights.”
“Learning, and especially unlearning, can take place only in the absence of defensiveness.... [W]e can drop our defenses only when we love and are loved.”