“You can't get any movement larger than five people without including at least one fucking idiot.”

“Historical analogy is the last refuge of people who can't grasp the current situation.”

“It's lawmakers know better than anyone that laws are more a matter of practical compromise than any kind of moral imperative.”

“Science was many things, Nadia thought, including a weapon with which to hit other scientists.”

“It was a mistake to speak one's mind at any time, unless it perfectly matched your political purpose; and it never did.”

“The only part of an argument that really matters is what we think of the people arguing. X claims a, Y claims b. They make arguments to support their claims with any number of points. But when their listeners remember the discussion, what matters is simply that X believes a and Y believes b. People then form their judgment on what they think of X and Y.”

“Beauty is the promise of happiness. And the only happiness is action....Fate is the path of least action.”