It is as if the mission of modernity was to squeeze every drop of variability and randomness out of life — with the ironic result of making the world a lot more unpredictable, as if the goddesses of chance wanted to have the last word.

If you need to listen to music while walking, don’t walk; and please don’t listen to music.

Silver Rule (negative golden rule): Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you. Note the difference from the Golden Rule, as the silver one prevents busybodies from attempting to run your life.