““I wonder,” he thought, “is it worth getting myself crushed in that crowd just to save my life? Is it worth getting all frustrated and angry, lowering myself to their level, pushing and shoving with all the rest, fighting like a common animal, just to stay alive?” He smiled ruefully. “It always comes to the simple question: what is more important, life or self-respect?””

— George Alec Effinger

Source: Relatives (1973)., Chapter 8 (p. 123).

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George Alec Effinger 59

Novelist, short story writer 1947–2002

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George Alec Effinger 59

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