“I see that you are indifferent about money, which is a characteristic rather of those who have inherited their fortunes than of those who have acquired them; the makers of fortunes have a second love of money as a creation of their own, resembling the affection of authors for their own poems, or of parents for their children, besides that natural love of it for the sake of use and profit which is common to them and all men. And hence they are very bad company, for they can talk about nothing but the praises of wealth.” Republic

On the occasion of every act ask thyself, How is this with respect to me? Shall I repent of it? A little time and I am dead, and all is gone. Book VIII

"The essence of the Agricultural Revolution: the ability to keep more people alive under worse conditions.” Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

"Who, in this tired and overworked family, would have had time to give more attention to Gregor than was absolutely necessary?" Metamorphosis and Other Stories