One of the many problems with the American left has been its image as something rather too solemn, mirthless, herbivorous, dull, monochrome, righteous, and boring.

If religious instruction were not allowed until the child had attained the age of reason, we would be living in a quite different world.

Islamophobia: a word created by fascists, and used by cowards, to manipulate morons.

Religion is poison because it asks us to give up our most precious faculty, which is that of reason, and to believe things without evidence. It then asks us to respect this, which it calls faith.

Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence.

Human beings are pattern-seeking animals who will prefer even a bad theory or a conspiracy theory to no theory at all.

I learned that very often the most intolerant and narrow-minded people are the ones who congratulate themselves on their tolerance and open-mindedness.

High moral character is not a precondition for great moral accomplishments.

What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

Why do humans exist? A major part of the answer: because Pikaia Gracilens survived the Burgess decimation.

The only real radicalism in our time will come as it always has—from people who insist on thinking for themselves and who reject party-mindedness.

For the writer, the process of writing a novel is like getting an advanced copy of a book you'd really like to read.

Our dog died from licking our wedding picture.

Somewhere along the line we seem to have confused comfort with happiness.

You told me love was fickle and fleeting.

The truth is, for some absurd reason, no one is willing to admit that the interests of the producers and the theater owners are not the same.

There are lots of things we choose not to see. Doesn't mean they aren't there, even if we wish they weren't.

The most onerous slavery is to be a slave to oneself.

I'm one of the few people who understands how producing technology requires intuition and creativity, and how producing something artistic takes real discipline.

The book is there for inspiration and as a foundation, the fundamentals on which to build.

The work that leads to a doctor's degree is a constant temptation to sacrifice one's growth as a man to one's growth as a specialist.