Maia recognized a look of true religion in the other woman’s eyes. A version and interpretation that conveniently justified what had already been dec… - David Brin

I suppose, all told, I’ve done more good than evil in my life, but that’s incidental, a product of happenstance and the bizarre caprices of the world.

Each of us remains convinced that our own subjective viewpoint is more urgent than anyone else's—indeed, even more valid than the objective matrix that underlies so-called reality. After all, the subjective view is a grand theater. To be hero of an ongoing drama. It's why ideologies and bigotries survive against all evidence or logic.
Subjective obstinacy had advantages, Morris, when we were busy evolving into nature's champion egotists. It led to human mastery over the planet…and to our species nearly wiping itself out.

The variety of inventive ideas—and ideologies—that people can come up with never ceases to amaze me, especially when they’re stoked by the ultimate drug, self-righteousness.