I don't mind being a commodity. It's given me a good life.

My philosophy is: It's none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am, and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.

We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap.

Life's too short to deal with other people's insecurities.

No expectations. Ask nothing, expect nothing and accept everything, and life is very well.

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

I don't believe in nepotism. I don't much like the idea of parents who interfere.

Relish everything that's inside of you, the imperfections, the darkness, the richness and light and everything. And that makes for a full life.

The whole point of courage, to overcome your fear. That's the interesting thing, when courage bleeds through the fear.

I always liked to take the plunge, you know, I'd jump in at the deep end and hope that I'd find land somehow, or hope I'd float or survive. That's more or less the way I've gone through my life.

You're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling?

I use health joy and comfort to set off my brain chemicals of bliss for my highest good.

Are writers the torchbearers of humanity? It’s a romantic idea, but it’s complete rubbish. We writers are the crocodiles in the river.

I do not know by what extraordinary mental accident modern writers so constantly connect the idea of progress with the idea of independent thinking.

Of what need is teamwork without a common goal?

It is indeed true that the stock market can forecast the business cycle.

You know when you take the paint off an old canvas and you discover that something's been painted underneath it? That's what I feel like - that part of the old is coming through the new.

I don't see us winning the war. We have made enemies of one billion Muslims.

I believe the only people who truly experience and test the application of equality are twins.

Then there is the way that was taught two thousand years ago - of overcoming evil with good, which is my way, the way Jesus taught. Never loose faith: God's way is bound to prevail in the end.

We want to see ourselves reflected in our heroes. Unfortunately most of us don't look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.