“How can one part be more important if each part is completely necessary?”

“Conversation is more than the sum of the words. It isalso a way of signaling the importance of another person byshowing your willingness to give that person your rarestresource: time. It is a way of conveying respect. Conversationreminds us that we are part of a greater whole, connected insome way that transcends duty or bloodline or commerce.Conversation can be many things, but it can never be useless.”

“The job isn't done until you've blamed someone for the parts that went wrong.”

“Our arrogancecauses us to imagine special value in this temporary collectionof molecules. Why do we perceive more spiritual valuein the sum of our body parts than on any individual cell inour body? Why don’t we hold funerals when skin cells die?”

“Scientists often invent words to fill the holes in their understanding. These words are meant as conveniences untilreal understanding can be found. Sometimes understanding comes and the temporary words can be replaced with wordsthat have more meaning. More often, however, the patch words will take on a life of their own and no one will remember that they were only intended to be placeholders.”

“There is more information in one thimble of realitythan can be understood by a galaxy of human brains. It isbeyond the human brain to understand the world and itsenvironment, so the brain compensates by creating simplifiedillusions that act as a replacement for understanding.”

“Caring about the quality of your work causes stress. Stress can kill you. Maintain good health by remembering that the stockholders are complete strangers who have never done anything for you.”