“Brigid O'Shaughnessy: I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know. Sam Spade You know, that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we'd nev...”

“Joel Cairo: You always have a very smooth explanation ready.Sam Spade: What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?”

“Yes,' Spade growled. 'And when you're slapped you'll take it and like it.' He released Cairo's wrist and with a thick open hand struck the side of his face three times savagely.”

“He looked rather pleasantly, like a blonde satan.”

“If you have a story that seems worth telling, and you think you can tell it worthily, then the thing for you to do is to tell it, regardless of whether it has to do with sex, sailors or mounted pol...”

“I found I was repeating myself. It is the beginning of the end when you discover you have style.”

“One of the first things we learn from our teachers is discernment: the ability to tell truth from fiction, to know when we have lost our center and how to find it again. Discernment is also one of ...”

“If you don't understand another person then don't be quick to judge them. Judgment comes from the reasoning mind of logic. Rather, seek to understand others from your heart space. Discernment provi...”

“Let discernment be your trustee, and mistakes your teacher.”

“Jesus-shaped spirituality hears Jesus say "believe and repent," but the call that resonates most closely in the heart of a disciple is "follow me." The command to follow requires that we take a dai...”

“The engine that drives all your activities is hope. What you hope in shapes you.”

“I assumed my first undivided responsibility.”

“In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility; but when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger; stiffen the sinews, summon up the bloo...”

“A man might as well hope to fight a swarm of flies with a sword as to master his own thoughts when they are set on by the devil.”

“Every source of blessing is a point of attack.”