“The doctor frowned upon drinking and often expressed wonderment at men who willingly made imbeciles of themselves.”

“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”

“Dad stepped forward. "Mr. Zelden, I'm Patrick Silver."Zelden Frowned. “It’s Doctor Zelden, if you don’t mind. I do hold a doctorate in theology, you know.”Dad gave him a stiff smile. “Of course.”Both my parents held doctorates in psychology, but they never referred to themselves as doctors. They said that title should be reserved for people who could actually save lives, not just write a thesis.”

“The men who made the joke saw something deep which they could not express except by something silly and emphatic.”

“There is nothing to which men, while they have food and drink, cannot reconcile themselves.”

“I have not only labored solely for the benefit of others (receiving for myself a miserable pittance), but have been forced to model my thoughts at the will of men whose imbecility was evident to all but themselves”