Monotheism was a terrible idea, leading directly to Lenin. - John Leonard

One advantage of remorse is that it sets the stage for consolation.

Every intelligent child is an amateur anthropologist. The first thing such a child notices is that adults don't make sense.

Addiction may be something to which some of us are predisposed, like diabetes, rather than a voluntary behavior — but it’s also reversible. A "disease model" of alcoholism and other addictions in no way diminishes our personal accountability once we know the facts. It simply suggests how hard recovery will be, and how much help we need.