The thing I am most aware of is my limits. And this is natural; for I never, or almost never, occupy the middle of my cage; my whole being surges toward the bars. РAndr̩ Gide, Journals, 4 August 1930

Some defeats [are] more triumphant than victories. – Michel de Montaigne, Essays, 1588

To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It is easy to say no, even if saying no means death. – Jean Anouilh, Antigone, 1942

Three passions, simple but overwhelming, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. – Bertrand Russell, Autobiography, 1967