“There are two good reasons for being nice to the underdogs in this life. One, because if the underdog grows up to be the kind of person that starts shooting, you'll have a chance at survival. Two, because it's the right thing to do the third reason being that the wheel of fortune is always spinning, spinning. And just because you're at the top today doesn't mean it'll always be so. When you're at the bottom, you'll want someone to be there for you too.”

“...the third reason [for being nice to the underdogs in life] being that the wheel of fortune is always spinning, spinning. And just because you're at the top today doesn't mean it'll always be so. When you're at the bottom, you'll want someone to be there for you too.”

“...that you should be nice to everyone until a person gives you reason not to be, and sometimes even then.”

“Because I want to go to the dance," I said."But why can't you go as a boy? Won't it be risky going as a girl?"Of course it would be risky. But everything I'd done for the past four months had been risky.I took a deep breath before speaking. "I want to go as a girl, because I want to dance with a particular boy."Mrs. Smithers rolled her eyes at this. "There's always a boy, isn't there?”

“Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all...But is it? Is it really better to know a thing you love only to lose it?If I'd known then what I know now...But that's the thing, isn't it? When you're living a thing...you don't know. You take it for granted, like a dog being petted, assuming it will somehow go on forever.If I'd known what I know now...I'd have touched everything in sight, everything I could get my hands on. I'd have grabbed the nearest girl I could find and not even caring how crazy she thought me, touched my hands to her face just to know what that feels like.Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?I, never having loved before, have no real answer to that question.”

“It's amazing how people can take just one small part of a person and draw massive conclusions.”

“It is amazing how much you can see in other people - the good and the bad, we won't even talk about the ugly - if you just shut up and watch them.”