Intrinsically, there’s nothing small about the ethical problem with slaughtering thousands of innocent first-born male children to convince an unelected Pharaoh to release slaves who logically could have been teleported out of the country.

— Eliezer Yudkowsky, Map and Territory

To resolve a dissonance, one factor or another contributing to it must be made to yield. Which factor depends on the situation, but, generally speaking, it will not be the person’s self-image. That manages to be preserved through the most miraculous arguments.

— Gerald Weinberg, The Psychology of Computer Programming

Elysium is a myth. One does not overcome an obstacle to enter the land of no obstacles.

— Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way

When we earn the admiration of others honestly by being respectable, honorable, blameless, generous, and kind, the end result is true happiness.

— Russ Roberts, How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life

It’s common for a startup to be developing a genuinely good product, take slightly too long to do it, run out of money, and have to shut down.

— Paul Graham, Hackers & Painters