Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Words to Live By...

Reading through Time Enough for Love, I came across a passage where Lazarus Long sums up my feelings on self-defense perfectly. He's asked how he's managed to avoid dying either accidentally or through violence over the many centuries he's lived, and he simply replies:
"...I've always watched where I put my feet, and never fought when I could duck out... and when I did have to fight, I always fought dirty. If I had to fight, I wanted him to be dead instead of me. So I tried to arrange it that way."

Exactly. Do unto others before they do unto you.

That is all.

2 comments:

Robb Allen said...

Once you nuzzle your way through all the "Boy, I'd love to have sex with my mother" parts of the book, it's simply filled with gems like that.

In fact, the notebook part is classic, in and of itself.

Speaking of, I think you were supposed to give me a book from someone. I forgot about it. I guess I'll have to pay to have it shipped.

Old NFO said...

Old age and treachery will overcome youth and optimism ANYTIME! :-)