“One of Sir Topher's rules was to never indulge in sentimentality, never return for what was left behind.”
“Don't think about what you've left behind" The alchemist said to the boy as they began to ride across the sands of the desert. "If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.”
“if you focus on what you have left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead”
“The newspapers! Sir, they are the most villainous — licentious — abominable — infernal — Not that I ever read them — no — I make it a rule never to look into a newspaper.”
“Never mind what my name is,” the man said. “No one can pronounce it anyway. Just call me Sir.”
“Sentiment and brutality, never one without the other, like fossils and oil.”