“Perhaps its inevitable, perhaps one has to choose between being nothing at all and impersonating what one is.”

“Perhaps the error in choosing retaliation is that, when we eliminate one enemy, we inevitably create two or more.”

“I expect it will turn out that sexual intercourse is possible between Gethenian double-sexed and Hainish-norm one-sexed human beings, though such intercourse will inevitably be sterile. It remains to be proved; Estraven and I proved nothing except perhaps a rather subtler point.”

“Perhaps the rare and simple pleasure of being seen for what one is compensates for the misery of being it.”

“It's all really very simple. You don't have to choose between being kind to yourself and others. It's one and the same.”

“You've invented your own way of being, and perhaps it might be 'odd' to one who has no idea of the life you've led, but to one who does..." Brayden paused, shrugged. "To one who does, it's...it's...I haven't got a word. It's astounding”