tinder

Since it is so likely that [children] will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.

One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better.

In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.

For we all remember that our childhood, as lived, was immeasurably different from what our elders saw.

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.

Nonsense wakes up the brain cells. And it helps develop a sense of humor, which is awfully important in this day and age. Humor has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It’s more than just a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack.

I still believe non-fiction is the most important literature to come out of the second half of the 20th century.

The problem with fiction, it has to be plausible. That’s not true with non-fiction.

…though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Love is a better master than duty.

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.

The man who understands the Calvinist philosophy enough to agree with it must understand the Catholic philosophy in order to disagree with it.

Striving to get smarter, better and faster helps us create our future. The risk is that merely collecting, trading and discussing the tools turns into the point.

It’s possible that your next frontier isn’t to get more efficient, it’s to get more brave.