“You are the illusion. The person in the mirror is real.”

“He rode death's horse by the tips of his fingers and the tips of his toes.”

“Real men can carry carpets, Claire. Keep that in mind when looking for a husband.”

“I would argue that a truly developed country would be beyond Presidents and Kings. In a world with some semblance of equality, each liberal-minded woman, each gay person, and indeed almost every person could be their own President. In a world of equals, what real service does a ruler provide?”

“It is the obvious which is so difficult to see most of the time. People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face.' But how much of the nose on your face can you see, unless someone holds a mirror up to you?”

“It's not like I'm such a shiny happy person either, you know? I'm a wreck too, I'm just... still alive.”

“Saying something is 'too bad' is easy. You say you disapprove, which makes you a nice person, and then you can go about your business and not be interested anymore. It's a lot worse than 'too bad.' It's against everything decent and natural.”