“If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim”

“Before you swim, you gotta be okay to sink.”

“Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say.”

“First you find out what you have, Dad would say. Then you figure out how to make it work for what you need, 'cause you don't get what you want. You get just what you have and no more.”

“You don't need someone else's approval to do what you want; just figure it out and do it, damn it!”

“Do you want to understand how to swim, or do you want to jump in and start swimming? Only people who are afraid of the water want to understand it. Other people jump in and get wet.”

“I don't want to hear anymore of your difficulties. For an SS officer there are no difficulties; his duty is always to remove difficulties himself as soon as they arise. How you do it is for you to figure out, not me.”

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.”

“Getting what you want is just as difficult as not getting what you want. Because then you have to figure out what to do with it instead of figuring out what to do without it.”

“And now I know it's hard when you don't know what to think

And every single smile is a foil and you're waking up

You might try but you won't get by until you're crucified for all the things you try to do

Well I don't care if you sink or swim

And I don't care how you hold it in

As long as you don't bother me with all the things I don't bother you with

And 9 times out of 10 you might be right

But what about that time you know you're wrong?

You sing that same song

And everybody smiles but they'll never get along”