The Capacity To Combine Commitment With Skepticism

Most Higher Education Is Devoted To Affirming The Traditions And Origins Of An Existing Elite And Transmitting Them To New Members.

The Capacity To Combine Commitment With Skepticism Is Essential To Democracy.

Monotony And Repetition Are Characteristic Of Many Parts Of Life, But These Do Not Become Sources Of Conscious Discomfort Until Novelty And Entertainment Are Built Up As Positive Experiences.

The Critical Question About Regret Is Whether Experience Led To Growth And New Learning. Some People Seem To Keep On Making The Same Mistakes, While Others At Least Make New Ones. Regret And Remorse Can Be Either Paralyzing Or Inspiring. [p. 199]

When Parents Die, All Of The Partings Of The Past Are Reevoked With The Realization That This Time They Will Not Return.