The philosopher is he who aspires to be at home everywhere.
—Novalis

I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.
—Johannes Kepler

Readers are touchingly loyal to the first history they learn—and if you challenge it, it’s as if you are taking away their childhoods. For a person who seeks safety and authority, history is the wrong place to look. Any worthwhile history is in a constant state of self-questioning.
—Hilary Mantel