“Most people, in my opinion, steal much of what they are. If they didn't what poor items they would be.”

“A poor child knew what it meant to be poor. We didn't ask for much, and sometimes we didn't even ask.”

“Most of the people in the world are poor, so if we knew the economics of being poor we would know much of the economics that really matters.”

“Steve [sports psychiatrist] had already taught me to try and stop worrying so much about pleasing everyone. We knew that this was one of my most draining flaws and he again used three groups to clarify my thinking. There would always be some people, Steve said, who would care about me and love me. In contrast there would also be a select group of people who would never warm to me - no matter what I did. And in the middle came the overwhelming mass who were largely indifferent to any of my failures or triumphs. I needed to understand that most people didn't really care what I did or said. All my anguish about how they might perceive me was redundant. Steve helped me realize that I spent too much time trying to please those oblivious people in the middle or, more problematically, the small group who would never change their critical opinion of me. I should concentrate on the people who really did show concern for me.”

“What do you want?" "Clothes mostly, some weapons."Sebastian shook his head." Too dangerous. We need to get in and out fast. Only emergency items.""My favourite jacket is a emergency item," Jace said. It was so much like hearing him talk to Alec, to any of his friends. "Much like myself, it is both snuggly and fashionable.”

“It is my opinion that humans are largely what they make of themselves; in other words, "human nature" is not so much an empirical reality as a process of self-construction. This means that if people become what they think they are, what they think they are is exceedingly important.”