Egalitarians adjust to aristocracies just fine, as long as they get to be the aristocrats.

Nevertheless, liking and disliking do not constitute proof any more than hearsay does.

Events may be horrible or inescapable. Men have always a choice -- if not whether, then how, they may endure.

Escapist literature gets a bad rap. But I think escape is important for a lot of people in a lot of places.

Aim high. You may still miss the target but at least you won't shoot your foot off.

If you can't do what you want, do what you can.

The fourth approved approach for the problem of frontally attacking a guarded wormhole was to shoot the officer who suggested it.

My dinner party,' Miles grated. 'It's just breaking up.' And sinking. All souls feared lost.

For a while, I thought I was going mad. At last, I became reconciled to my despair. The medications helped, too, I thought, sir.

A good friend of my son's is a son to me.

Endure pain, find joy, and make your own meaning, because the universe certainly isn't going to supply it.

I don't duel, boy. I kill as a soldier kills, which is as a butcher kills, as quickly, efficiently, and with as least risk to myself as I can arrange.

It must be quite a shock to suddenly find out you're pregnant, seventeen times over--at your age, too.

You try to give away what you want yourself.

In my experience, milady, we can never get back to exactly where we started, no matter how hard we try.

My home is not a place, it is people.

If there's no game, isn't winning a pretty meaningless concept?

There will be grace and forgiveness enough, old dog, even for you. I pray you will spare me a drink from that cup, when it overflows for you.
- Miles Vorkosigan.

Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards.

One of the best things about writing is how it redeems, not to mention recycles, all of one's prior experiences, including or perhaps especially the failures.