“Falling in love was simple; one had only to yield. Digesting another person, however, and sustaining love, was bloody work, and not a soft job.”

“Never fall in love with an idea. They're whores: if the one you're with isn't doing the job, there's always, always, always another.”

“He'll learn that many women can satisfy for a short period of time, but when he falls in love, only one will sustain him forever.”

“The only thing a person of my age can do is fall in love secretly, silently, likeI had done with Mariana. Fall in love knowing that all is lost and there is no hope.”

“There are two types of people in the world, a solution-based person, and a sustainable person. A solution based person focuses on finding solutions to today’s problems. But, as for tomorrow’s problems, who cares? However, a sustainable person is the one that not only attempts to make an immediate fix, but also contemplates decisions for today, tomorrow and for years to come.”

“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.”