“Despair is the conclusion of fools.”

“Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.”

“The Operative tried to implement the Purusey breathing technique, which has been proven effective at fooling polygraphs. There is no conclusive evidence as to
whether it is effective at masking the internal lie detectors of fifteen-year-old boys.”

“Someone in despair despairs over something. So, for a moment, it seems, but only for a moment. That same instant the true despair shows itself, or despair in its true guise. In despairing over something he was really despairing over himself, and he wants now to be rid of himself.”

“Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair.”

“It's not the despair, Laura, I can stand the despair. It's the hope.”

“My despair is less despair than boredom and loneliness.”

“There are three kinds of fools in this world, fools proper, educated fools and rich fools. The world persists because of the folly of these fools.”

“I belong to the generation of 1968, which, throughout the world, hoped to recast society on the model of the imagination. I have tried to learn from disappointment and defeat, but I have not despaired. "If the fool would persist in his folly," wrote William Blake, "he would become wise."”

“It happens as with cages: the birds without despair to get in, and those within despair of getting out.”