“If I've learned anything in twenty-nine years, it'sthat every human being you see in the course of a day has a problem that's sucking up at least 70percent of his or her radar. My gift - bad choice of words - is that I can look at you, him, her,them, whoever, and tell right away what is keeping them awake at night: money; feelings ofinsignificance; overwhelming boredom; evil children; job troubles; or perhaps death, in one of itsmany costumes, perched in the wings. What surprises me about humanity is that in the end such anarrow range of plights defines our moral lives.”

“What surprises me about humanity is that in the end such a narrow range of plights defines our moral lives.”

“The problem is, i don't know what choice is the right oneholder: That's because none of them are the right choice. Sometimes you have to choose between a bunch of wrong choices and no right ones. You just have to choose which wrong choice feels the least wrong”

“Brother I've been right where you are now And my heart was broke Cause I never spoke Those healing words out loudBut I've learned my lesson well And now every night Before I close my eyes I look at my woman and I ask myself did you Tell her that you love her Tell her that you need her Tell her that you want her to stay Reassure her with a kiss She may never know unless you Show her what your feeling Tell her you're believing Even though it's hard to say 'Cause she needs to know you're thinking of her So open up and tell her that you love her”

“If we are defined by reason and morality, then reason and morality must define our choices, even when animals are concerned. When people say, for example, that they like their veal or hot dogs too much to ever give them up, and yeah it's sad about the farms but that's just the way it is, reason hears in that the voice of gluttony. We can say that what makes a human being human is precisely the ability to understand that the suffering of an animal is more important than the taste of a treat.”

“This is my right; it is the right of every human being. I choose not the suffocating anesthetic of the suburbs, but the violent jolt of the Capital, that is my choice. The meanest patient, yes, even the very lowest is allowed some say in the matter of her own prescription. Thereby she defines her humanity. I wish, for your sake, Leonard, I could be happy in this quietness. [pause]But if it is a choice between Richmond and death, I choose death..”