
"Quotes", Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays (1957), Polemical Introduction
Interview with Richard Dawkins (5:12) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLctxRf7duU
"Quotes", Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays (1957), Polemical Introduction
Turning Pages: The Life and Literature of Margaret Atwood (2007)
“Why do we live? Most of us need the very thing we never ask for.”
Letter to Robert McAlmon (4 September 1943), published in The Selected Letters of William Carlos Williams (1957) edited by John C. Thirlwall, p. 217
General sources
Context: Why do we live? Most of us need the very thing we never ask for. We talk about revolution as if it was peanuts. What we need is some frank thinking and a few revolutions in our own guts; to hell with what most of the sons of bitches that I know and myself along with them if I don't take hold of myself and turn about when I need to — or go ahead further if that's the game.
“It is better to ask for an apology than to ask for permission.”
Variant: I always say, better ask forgiveness than permission.
Source: Eragon
“Children often ask for things they do not really want.”
Raised by Wolves, season 1, episode 4. Character Mother.
“It never ceases to amaze me how often I ask people, “What do you really want?”
and they look at me blankly, unable to articulate the answer. It’s not that they don’t want things, it’s just that they don’t have a high level of clarity regarding the matter.”
Popular Quotes, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Journal Articles
And that last bit I think often gets missed out.
Interview at the Academy of Achievement (23 May 1998).