“Not too many professions out there that value forgetfulness. Prostitution, maybe. Politics, of course.”

“The only way out of this mess, of course, is to take steps to ensure that you control the idiots that you become. To take your chain gang, hand in hand, and lead them. The best way to do this is with a list.”

“How can you forgive if you can’t remember to forget?”

“The secret, of course, to any list is to keep it in a place where you’re bound to see it.”

“Lists are the only way out of this mess.”

“Of course, weakness is strong. It’s the primary impulse. You’d probably prefer to sit in your little room and cry. Live in your finite collection of memories, carefully polishing each one. Half a life set behind glass and pinned to cardboard like a collection of exotic insects. You’d like to live behind that glass, wouldn’t you?”

“Time eventually convinces most of us that forgiveness is a virtue. Conveniently, cowardice and forgiveness look identical at a certain distance.”