“That is the trick of good government. To make folk desire to live in such a way that there is no need for its intervention.”

“You need to know it's your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.”

“There is still a tendency to regard any existing government intervention as desirable, to attribute all evils to the market, and to evaluate new proposals for government control in their ideal form, as they might work if run by able, disinterested men free from the pressure of special interest groups.”

“If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer.”

“It is hard for people to think clearly because their emotional needs keep getting in the way. The trick is to make thinking clearly an emotional need.”

“It's a bit counter-intuitive to think about the future in terms of the past. But...I've learned an important trick: to develop foresight, you need to practice hindsight. Technologies, cultures, and climates may change, but our basic human needs and desires - to survive, to care for our families, and to lead happy, purposeful lives - remain the same.”