...we all require devotion to something more than ourselves for our lives to be endurable. - Atul Gawande

The hardest question for anyone who takes responsibility for what he or she does is, What if I turn out to be average?

Our lives are inherently dependent on others and subject to forces and circumstances well beyond our control. Having more freedom seems better than having less. But to what end? The amount of freedom you have in your life is not the measure of the worth of your life. Just as safety is an empty and even self-defeating goal to live for, so ultimately is autonomy.

The calm and wisdom of old age are achieved over time.