“People who worship only themselves get a slick, polished look -- like monuments. Too bad they had to go so soon.”

“Moorehead is one of those sad people who go into teaching so they can be worshipped by the only people sadder than they are - students.”

“No one is ever going to give you something that they're too afraid to even claim for themselves. People don't know themselves, so they don't like to see other people figure it out and live their lives in ways that they themselves cannot. So they try to box you in, and limit you, so they don't feel inadequate. But you don't need their approval- the only person who ever, ever limits you is yourself.”

“The only people for me are the ones who spill things, the ones who drop their cups sometimes, the ones who get dirty hands and messy hair, the ones who can go barefoot if they feel like it, the people who forget things, and can laugh at themselves every day...”

“Americans were convinced in their own minds that they were very miserable, and those who think so are so. There is nothing so easy as to persuade people that they are badly governed. Take happy and comfortable people and talk to them with the art of the evil one, and they can soon be made discontented with their government, their rulers, with everything around them, and even with themselves.”

“Niches set back in the walls contained polished marble statues of entwined bodies. Will looked away from them hastily, and then back. It wasn't as if Magnus seemed to be paying attention to what Will was doing, and he'd honestly never imagined two people could get themselves into a position like that, much less make it look artistic.”