“You must not become a silly creature ... relying on other people to tell you what is valuable and what is not...the most important thing in life is to be able to see things as they really are.”

“It's vital to remember who you really are. It's very important. It isn't a good idea to rely on other people or things to do it for you, you see. They always get it wrong.”

“I, myself, write to change my life, to make it come out the way I want it to. But other people write for other reasons: to see more closely what it is they are thinking about, what they may be afraid of. Sometimes writers write to solve a problem, to answer their own question. All these reasons are good reasons. And that is the most important thing I'll ever tell you. Maybe it is the most important thing you'll ever hear. Ever.”

“To feel successful, you must be able to be honest about the things that are really important to you.”

“The most important thing is this: to sacrifice what you are now for what you can become tomorrow.”

“Becoming a child again is what is impossible. That's what you have a legitimate reason to be upset over. Childhood is the most valuable thing that's taken away from you in life, if you think about it.”