“Writing turns you into somebody who's always wrong. The illusion that you may get it right someday is the perversity that draws you on.”

“A wrong turn doesn't end the journey. If you feel lost, just look at your map and get back on the road. The map will always lead you in the right direction.”

“We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.”

“If you are right among the wrong people, you may even be right, but you will still be seen as wrong.”

“Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones.”

“I always tell young swimmers: 'Practice things until you can't get them wrong. Not until you get them right.”

“Today, not starting is far, far worse than being wrong. If you start, you've got a shot at evolving and adjusting to turn your wrong into a right. But if you don't start, you never get a chance.”

“You cannot teach painting because everyone's colour sense is different. But drawing.. you either get it right or wrong. You can tell whether people have drawn from life from their pictures.”

“You may think there is a lot wrong with you, but there is also a lot right with you.”

“… Any fool can love somebody who's perfect, somebody who does everything right. But that doesn't stretch your soul. Your soul only gets stretched when you can still love somebody after they've hurt you.”