“What is termed Sin is an essential element of progress. Without it the world would stagnate, or grow old, or become colourless.”

“He thought that the world would make more rapid progress without the burden of old people.”

“People can only grow, stagnate, or regress. Which one are you doing? I’m both growing and stagnating, because I’m learning every day, so I’m growing, but since learning has become a habit and I do it all the time, I’m technically stagnating. I’m stagnating upwards.”

“After all, most of us have lived lives based on commitments made without any way of knowing where they would lead. The uncertainty is an essential element in commitment, the acceptance of consequences an essential element in fidelity. [p. 80]”

“Do not suffer life to stagnate, it will grow muddy for want of motion; commit yourself again to the current of the world.”

“I believe that we are all born for greatness yet most of us mire in the mediocrity of life. We become complacent or worse, discouraged and stagnate. We damn ourselves by not progressing.”