“There are instincts which respond to all the chance meetings in life. The little girl was not afraid.”

“...in the shaping of a life, chance and the ability to respond to chance are everything.”

“Certain temperaments respond to anxiety by pulling inward. Their instincts tell them ' Don't go out to meet the world - you'll have a panic attack. Inside is where safety is.”

“To live your life afraid of others and deny them a chance to come close is to not live at all.”

“Work. Home. The pub. Meeting girls. Living in the city. Life. Is that all there is?”

“But I feel like letting other people be good for me--after all, I'm just an unhappy little girl and even if I'm extremely intelligent, that doesn't change anything, does it? An unhappy little girl who, just when things are at their worst, has been lucky enough to meet some good people. Morally, do I have the right to let this chance go by?”