“Christmas is a rare occasion when we are reminded that we have obligations to people we did not choose to be related to, and that love is not just a spontaneous feeling but something we sometimes really have to work at, with people we may not even much like.”
“'That which does not kill me makes me stronger' is not a law of the universe. What it can be, if we so choose, is a resolution.”
“If there's one thing that makes me cynical, it's optimists. They are just far too cynical about cynicism. If only they could see that cynics can be happy, constructive, even fun to hang out with, they might learn a thing or two.”
“Being a good neighbour is about compassion, which is as warm-blooded as justice is cool-headed.”
“Seek first what is true and of value, and then whatever happiness follows will be of the appropriate quantity and, more importantly, quality.”
“The very act of questioning whether you exist proves you do, because you must be there for the doubt to be entertained in the first place.”
“From time to time, it is worth wandering around the fuzzy border regions of what you do, if only to remind yourself that no human activity is an island.”
“Atheists should point out that life without God can be meaningful, moral and happy.”
“There is such a thing as fanaticism, it is always wrong, and if you disagree, you're wrong too.”
“Big sporting events and spectacles might give the national morale a shot in the arm, but they are too transient and taste-specific to stand as robust symbols of nationhood.”