"There were the meaningless greetings the humans called "formalities": insincere inquiries into the state of health, nebulous benedictions and hopes … - Larry Niven

Allen, it puzzles me that a man can shoot thirty-two full-grown men and women before the sheriff’s men gun him down. You’re more his time, maybe you can tell me. Why didn’t someone just shoot the son of a bitch?

It had been a long dull evening, with only the thought of leaving the party early to look forward to.

6) It is easier to destroy than create. Bin Laden tore down the World Trade Center? Let's see him build one. If human beings didn't have a strong preference for creation, nothing would get built, ever.