That man has convinced me that he is a veritable philosopher. No ordinary man could be so awkward and absent-minded. - L. Sprague de Camp

Ah! Here we be! 'Human beings most readily love others of their species who, alpha, do services for them; beta, flatter them; gamma, refrain from reproaching them for errors; and delta, cultivate good nature and ease of manner.'

For thousands of years, priests and philosophers have told us to love mankind without giving any sound reason for loving the creatures. The mass of them are a lot of cruel, treacherous, hairless apes. They hate us intellectuals, longhairs, highbrows, eggheads, or double-domes, despite—or perhaps because—without us they would still be running naked in the wilderness and turning over flat stones for their meals. Love them? Hah!

You Afkans seem like a grimly puritanical lot," said Halran, "if you will excuse my saying so."
Ndovu beamed. "No apologies needed. What you say is high praise here.