“If people were mindless instead of heartless, maybe love would be easier.”

“Maybe love, unfathomable love, was too much for people, so they had traded it for something easier.”

“They were conscientious, you couldn't deny it, and they were also flabby, heartless sons-of-bitches. In other words, they were well chosen, as mindlessly enthusiastic as any employer could dream of. Sons that would have delighted my mother, worshiping their bosses, if only she could have had one all to herself, a son she could have been proud of in the eyes of the world, a real legitimate son.”

“Sometimes it's easier to figure things out for people instead of yourself.”

“Maybe, sometimes, it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know they'll always love you, no matter what.”

“...maybe we don't need a heavenly bribe or the fear of hell and damnation to make us behave decently. Maybe it would be healthier if people started believing in themselves instead.”