“Living without virtues is to live divorced from society, seperated from the most important thing in life, community.”

“To live factionless Is not just to live in poverty and discomfort; it is to live divorced from society, separated from the most important thing in life: community. My mother once told me that we can’t survive alone,but even if we could, we wouldn’t want to. Without a faction, we have no purpose and no reason to live.”

“It would be nice if life worked this way, stripping the dirt from our lives and sending us back out into the world clean. But some dirt is destined to lingered.”

“I want people to come away from my book with questions," she says. "Questions about virtue and goodness. Not answers.”

“I should wonder what courage—which is the virtue they most value—has to do with a metal ring through your nostril.”

“My mother told me once that we can't survive alone, but even if we could, we wouldn't want to. Without a faction we have no purpose and no reason to live.”

“I’m not important. Everyone will do just fine without me,” I say.“Who cares about everyone? What about me?”