But fantasies are often the best thing we can make of our multiple and contradictory wishes; they allow us to inhabit one reality without destroying … - Alain de Botton

We seem incapable of looking at buildings or pieces of furniture without tying them to the historical and personal circumstances of our viewing; as a result, architectural and decorative styles become, for us, emotional souvenirs of the moments and settings in which we came across them.

Insomnia is his mind's revenge for all the tricky thoughts he has carefully avoided during the daylight hours.

Growth occurs when we discover how to remain authentically ourselves in the presence of potentially threatening things. Maturity is the possession of coping skills: we can take in our stride things that previously would have knocked us off course. We are less fragile, less easily shocked and hence more capable of engaging with situations as they really are