Romance, like alcohol, should be enjoyed but must not be allowed to become necessary.

Only science can hope to keep technology in some sort of moral order.

In a world as empirical as ours, a youngster who does not know what he is good at will not be sure what he is good for.

So much of learning to be an American is learning not to let your individuality become a nuisance.

Juvenile delinquency serves many purposes, including that of providing sadistic adults with fantasies suited to their special tastes.

The atmosphere [in the school lunchroom] is not quite that of a prison, because the students are permitted to talk quietly, under the frowning scrutiny of teachers standing around on duty, during their meal-they are not supposed to talk while standing in line, though this rule is only sporadically enforced.

No American is prepared to attend his own funeral without the services of highly skilled cosmeticians. Part of the American dream, after all, is to live long and die young.

Every major industrial society believes it has a serious youth problem.

The examined life has always been pretty well confined to a privileged class.

It takes a kind of shabby arrogance to survive in our time, and a fairly romantic nature to want to.