"We must cultivate our garden "
— Voltaire (Candide, or Optimism)

"'But for what purpose was the earth formed?' asked Candide. 'To drive us mad,' replied Martin. "
— Voltaire (Candide)

"If we don't find anything pleasant, well at least find something new."
— Voltaire (Candide)

"I've wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but I still love life. That ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our most pernicious inclinations. What could be more stupid to persist in carrying a burden that we constantly want to cast off, to hold our existence in horror, yet cling to it nonetheless, to fondle the serpent that devours us, until it has eaten our heart?"
— Voltaire (Candide, or Optimism)

"If his is the best of all possible worlds, what must the others be like?"
— Voltaire (Candide, or Optimism)

"You can't regret the life you didn't lead."
— Junot Diaz

"It's never the changes we want that change everything."
— Junot Díaz (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)

"But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in.

And that's what I guess these stories are all about.

Yes, no doubt about it: I would have run. La Inca or not, I would have run. "
— Junot Diaz

"- Nothing else has any efficacy, I might as well be myself.
- But your yourself sucks!
- It is, lamentably, all I have."
— Junot Díaz (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)

"...we accept the love we think we deserve."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"...And I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean. I think it would be great to have written one of those songs. I bet if I wrote one of them, I would be very proud. I hope the people who wrote those songs are happy. I hope they feel it's enough. I really do because they've made me happy. And I'm only one person. "
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"and all the books you’ve read have been ready by other people. and all the songs you’ve loved have been heard by other people. and that girl that’s pretty to you is pretty to other people. and you know that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing “unity.” "
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough
"
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)