People, though, and living things ... their sense of self is ... complicated. Mutable. It changes. People don't think of themselves as just as bag of flesh and blood and bones, even if that's what they basically are. They think of themselves as soldiers, as kings, as wives and husbands and children ... People can convince themselves to be anything.

To try to bind a person is like writing in the ocean.

You can't control innovation! You can't structure how people invent! That's not how any of this shit works! Making and inventing is an ugly, stupid, random, dangerous process - just like humanity itself.

People, though, and living things ... their sense of self is complicated. Mutable. It changes ... they think of themselves as soldiers, as kings, as wives and husbands and children ... People can convince themselves to be anything...

All things have a value. Sometimes the value is paid in coin. Other times, it is paid in time and sweat. And finally, sometimes it is paid in blood.Humanity seems most eager to use this latter currency. And we never note how much of it we’re spending, unless it happens to be our own.