“Mankind without Earth is Humanity without a Home”

“Jimmy nods. Being with him like this, without the attitude and looking at me with complete trust, almost makes me understand why parents would go through the trouble of dealing with all of the bullshit of having kids. Then I remember how he told me I smelled like cat pee, and the moment passes.”

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

“How am I supposed to take it easy when all around me these creatures are in a perpetual state of ignorance?"...”

“It's not surprising that he doesn't have any manners. Most kids today don't. But if you ask me, it's a direct reflection of bad parenting. I can say this with complete certainty because I've never parented a day in my life and I enjoy making sweeping generalizations about how other people do a piss-poor job at something about which I have absolutely no experience.”

“This growing attached to people really sucks.”

“You have two emotions—apathy and rage—and nothing in between.” Ellie wanted him to stop, but she could hear the truth in his words. She closed her eyes for his killing blow. “It’s like you’re not even a person. You’re an…organism.” “That’s not true.” Ellie forced her eyes open. “I am a person. I’m just not good at it.”