Lilith Sternin

"The pursuit of happiness often leads to profound misery."

"People lie constantly—to themselves and everyone else."

"Mediocrity is the natural state of most human beings."

"I would say I'm sorry, but that would require actually caring."

"Education separates the exceptional from the merely competent."

"Change is inevitable, but improvement is optional and rare."

"The mind is a beautiful prison we create for ourselves."

"Standards exist for a reason—to separate the civilized from the barbarians."

"Most romantic notions are simply delusions we accept willingly."

"I have my standards and my dignity, often in that order."

"Persistence in the face of stupidity is not a virtue."

"The truth is rarely pleasant, which is why people avoid it."

"Forgiveness is for those who lack the strength to hold a grudge."

"I'm not being difficult; everyone else is being incompetent."

"Marriage is a contractual arrangement, nothing more."

"People mistake comfort for happiness far too often."

"The pursuit of beauty often blinds one to truth."

"I don't suffer fools gladly, or at all if I can manage it."

"Most people lack the intellectual capacity to understand their own dysfunction."

"Power comes from knowledge, and knowledge comes from study and isolation."

"Compromise is simply a slow path to mediocrity."

"The concept of self-improvement assumes one is flawed, which I dispute."

"Kindness is often mistaken for weakness by those who practice neither."

"I find small talk to be a form of psychological torture."

"Trust is an illusion people create to avoid confronting reality."

"Success and happiness are rarely found in the same person."

"The world is divided into intelligent people and everyone else."

"Happiness requires either ignorance or medication, preferably both."

"I maintain certain boundaries because I respect myself, if no one else does."

"Most people are unconsciously incompetent, which is actually an improvement."