Lillian Kaushtupper

"Justice is nice in theory, but in practice it's just whoever has the best lawyer."

"Patience is a virtue I don't possess and never will."

"Kindness costs nothing, which is why people give it away so rarely."

"Strength isn't about muscles; it's about continuing when you desperately want to stop."

"Fear keeps you from doing stupid things, and also from doing great things."

"Power corrupts, but powerlessness is worse because you can't even try."

"Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy the illusion of it for a while."

"Health is wealth unless you're wealthy, then you buy both."

"Adventure is just making mistakes in new locations."

"Imagination is the only escape route from reality."

"Technology is progress until it crashes and ruins everything."

"History repeats itself because we're too stubborn to learn from it."

"Philosophy is just people getting paid to ask obvious questions."

"Literature lets you live other people's terrible lives instead of your own."

"Politics is the art of making promises and breaking them with conviction."

"War proves that humans will do anything if we believe enough in a cause."

"Motivation is temporary, like a sugar rush or a good day."

"Inspiration strikes when you least expect it and disappears just as quickly."

"Relationships are beautiful chaos that test your patience daily."

"Solitude teaches you whether you're good company or just lonely."

"The worst part about getting older is remembering how dumb you used to be."

"People are complicated—they're capable of amazing kindness and terrible cruelty."

"Memory is unreliable, which is why everyone's story about what happened is different."

"Forgiveness is harder than staying angry, which is why we do the latter."

"Regret is just experience you wish you could return for a refund."

"Loneliness is worse than almost any other condition of being human."

"Vulnerability is terrifying, which is probably why it's so necessary."

"Growth requires pain, which is why most people stop growing."

"Acceptance is the moment you stop fighting reality and start living in it."

"Destiny is either predetermined or entirely random—neither is comforting."