“The moment someone keeps an eye on what we do, we involuntarily make allowances for that eye, and nothing we do is truthful. Having a public, keeping a public in mind, means living in lies…”

“For Sabina, living in truth, lying neither to ourselves nor to others, was possible only away from the public: the moment someone keeps an eye on what we do, we involuntarily make allowances for that eye, and nothing we do is truthful. Having a public, keeping a public in mind, means living in lies.”

“If we don't have that, what do we have to live for? Does it matter if it's a lie if it keeps us alive?”

“What do we any of us have but our illusions? And what do we ask of others but that we be allowed to keep them?”

“She reached down and traced my eyebrows. 'You do have really beautiful eyes.''We get to keep them,' I said.Grace started at my voice. 'What?''It's the one thing we keep. Our eyes stay the same.' I unclenched my fists. 'I was born with these eyes. I was born for this life.”

“And is that why we do what we do? For public approval, for fame? Do we help people because they will be appropriately grateful--or merely because they need help?”