One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him. – Booker T. Washington

A little flattery, like a warm bath and soft towel, will let you get along with yourself, lie down with yourself, and sleep. – Willis Goth Regier, In Praise of Flattery, 2007

It is… axiomatic that we should all think of ourselves as being more sensitive than other people because, when we are insensitive in our dealings with others, we cannot be aware of it at the time: conscious insensitivity is a self-contradiction. – W. H. Auden