“But didn't you say you were satisfied with your life?""Word games," I dismissed. "Every army needs a flag.”

“Have your dream...What you need now more than anything is discipline. Cast off mere words. Words turn into stone. (from Thailand)”

“I am struck by how, except when you're young, you really need to prioritize in life, figuring out in what order you should divide up your time and energy. If you don't get that sort of system set by a certain age, you'll lack focus and your life will be out of balance.”

“Sometimes we don't need words. Rather, it's words that need us. If we were no longer here, words would lose their whole function. They would end up as words that are never spoken, and words that aren't spoken are no longer words.”

“I live my life you live yours. If you're clear about what u want then you can live anyway you please. I don't give a damn what people say. They can be reptile food for all I care.”

“What we needed were not words and promises but a steady accumulation of small realities.”

“I can't imagine finding anybody to take your place.""You might not find a person that easily, but you could probably find a way without too much trouble," Aomama noted.The dowager looked at Aomame calmly, her lips forming a satisfied smile. "That may be true," she said, "but I almost surely could never find anthing to take the place of what we are sharing here and now. You are you and only you. I'm very grateful for that. More grateful than I can say.”