“It wasn’t bravery that ushered me into that cave, it was a mixture ofstupidity, guilt and the brashness of youth. A deadlier combination therenever was.”

“The right combination of guilt and machismo has sent many a fool out into the jungle when he should have stayed home.”

“Usher's Island”

“There is a noticeable element of the pathological in some current leftist critiques, which I tend to attribute to feelings of guilt allied to feelings of impotence. Not an attractive combination, because it results in self-hatred.”

“Me: "Touch the cave wall."Computer: "You touch the cave wall. It is moist."Isaac: "Lick the cave wall."Computer: "I do not understand. Repeat?"Me: "Hump the moist cave wall."Computer: "You attempt to jump. You hit your head."Isaac: "Not jump. HUMP."Computer: "I don't understand."Isaac: "Dude, I've been alone in the dark in this cave for weeks and I need some relief. HUMP THE CAVE WALL."Computer: "You attempt to ju-"Me: "Thrust pelvis against the cave wall."Computer: "I do not-"Isaac: "Make sweet love to the cave."Computer: "I do not-”

“Way before we were scratching pictures on caves or beating rhythms on hollow trees we were perfecting the art of combining our breath and mind and muscles into fluid self-propulsion over wild terrain.”