I think it's only in a crisis that Americans see other people. It has to be an American crisis, of read more

I think it's only in a crisis that Americans see other people. It has to be an American crisis, of course. If two countries fight that do not supply the Americans with some precious commodity, then the education of the public does not take place. But when the dictator falls, when the oil is threatened, then you turn on the television and they tell you where the country is, what the language is, how to pronounce the names of the leaders, what the religion is all about, and maybe you can cut out recipes in the newspaper of Persian dishes.

I write about violence as naturally as Jane Austen wrote about manners. Violence shapes and obsesses our society, and if read more

I write about violence as naturally as Jane Austen wrote about manners. Violence shapes and obsesses our society, and if we do not stop being violent we have no future.

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.

The misfortunes hardest to bear are these which never came.

The misfortunes hardest to bear are these which never came.

They who lack talent expect things to happen without effort. They ascribe failure to a lack of inspiration or ability, read more

They who lack talent expect things to happen without effort. They ascribe failure to a lack of inspiration or ability, or to misfortune, rather than to insufficient application. At the core of every true talent there is an awareness of the difficulties inherent in any achievement, and the confidence that by persistence and patience something worthwhile will be realized. Thus talent is a species of vigor.

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all.

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all.

Grow your tree of falsehood from a small grain of truth. Do not follow those who lie in contempt of read more

Grow your tree of falsehood from a small grain of truth. Do not follow those who lie in contempt of reality. Let your lie be even more logical than the truth itself, so the weary travelers may find repose.

In really hard times the rules of the game are altered. The inchoate mass begins to stir. It becomes potent, read more

In really hard times the rules of the game are altered. The inchoate mass begins to stir. It becomes potent, and when it strikes, it strikes with incredible emphasis. Those are the rare occasions when a national will emerges from the scattered, specialized, or indifferent blocs of voters who ordinarily elect the politicians. Those are for good or evil the great occasions in a nation's history.

The art of losing isn't hard to masters; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that read more

The art of losing isn't hard to masters; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.