“Look, the point is there's no way to be a hundred percent sure about anyone or anything. So you're left with a choice. Either hope for the best or just expect the worst.”

“Look,” he said, “the point is there’s no way to be a hundred percent sure about anyone or anything. So you’re left with a choice. Either hope for the best, or just expect the worst.”If you expect the worst, you’re never disappointed,” I pointed out.Yeah, but who lives like that?”

“No,' I said, shooting him a look. 'But you don't have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.'You don't have to assume the worst about everyone, either. THe world isn't always out to get you.'In your opinion,' I added.Look,' he said, 'the point is there's no way to be a hundred percent sure about anyone or anything. so you're left with a choice. Eitherhope for the best, or just expect the worst.' If you expect the worst you're never disappointed,' I pointed out.~Ruby and Nate, pg 259”

“With total strangers, it had always been my policy to expect the worst. Usually they-and those that you knew best, for that matter-did not disappoint.”

“If you expect the worst, you'll never be disappointed.”

“There was something so heavy about the burden of history, of the past. I wasn't sure I had it in me to keep looking back.”

“But you don’t have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.”“You don’t have to assume the worst about everyone, either. The world isn’t always out to get you.”