Law #2 The probability that a certain person (will) be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.

Law #1 Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.

Law #3 A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.

Law #4 Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.

Law #5 A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.

A stupid person is more dangerous than a pillager.

Two factors are important to consider when exploring human behaviour: Benefits and losses that an individual causes to: 1. him or herself and 2. to others.

Intelligent people (top right), who contribute to society and who leverage their contributions into reciprocal benefits.

Helpless people (top left), who contribute to society but are taken advantage of by it (and especially by the "bandit" sector of it); note, however, that extreme altruists and pacifists may willingly and consciously (rather than helplessly) accept a place in this category for moral or ethical reasons.

Bandits (bottom right), who pursue their own self-interest even when doing so poses a net detriment to societal welfare.

Stupid people (bottom left), whose efforts are counterproductive to both their and others' interests.

Food should be fun.

If we read the stories of the great spiritual teachers of the past, we find that they have attained spiritual realization through a great deal of meditation, solitude and practice. They did not take any shortcuts.

President Bush has consistently used rhetoric, and that is not convincing given his past record.

There may be no less original idea than the notion that our hearts hold dominion over our heads.

Some people revel in getting their hands dirty. These are the people that make startups grow wildly. People with hustle also tend to be much more agile - they're the water that goes around the rock. These are the people you want around when everything goes wrong. They're also the people you want beside you when everything goes right.

'It Girl' is supposed to be something that only lasts a certain amount of time. They keep calling me an 'It Girl,' and at this point it makes me laugh, because I've done that so many times: 'You're it;' 'You're not it.' What is 'it?'

I do remember actually learning chords to Beatles songs. I thought they were great songwriters.

The Southern character is opposed to haste. Safety is of more worth than speed, and there is no hurry.

Intentionality and talent always matter. An extraordinary feat is certainly made more likely by someone's focus, hard work, etc. But chance also matters.

That's what metal means to me, feeling that feeling when you hear something that totally turns you on.

Making films has got to be one of the hardest endeavors known to humankind.

People today are too concerned about saving time and having convenience.

I didn't write songs for a very long time.

In a way, the characters often do take over.

When I started Teach For America as a college senior, I sensed that there were thousands of talented, driven college students and recent grads who were searching for a way to make a real difference in the world.

A jazz musician can improvise based on his knowledge of music. He understands how things go together. For a chef, once you have that basis, that's when cuisine is truly exciting.

Having your adolescence at an all-male boarding school is just crap.

Since 1987, when I got my first one, I've been wearing a clock around my neck 24/7. You feel me? 24/7.

'Pears like my heart go flutter, flutter, and then they may say, 'Peace, Peace,' as much as they likes - I know it's goin' to be war!

I come from a working-class background where I was much more likely to read socialist books and leaflets than Bronte or Dickens - neither of whom I've yet read.

Even though I'm a leftist. I think the left eats its own.

Deep in every heart slumbers a dream, and the couturier knows it: every woman is a princess.

I agree that a nuclear Iran is extremely dangerous, and I believe that it must be prevented.

I was doing everything that a kid would be doing anyway, but on top of that, I was able to fly to different cities.