Home > Work > The Rosie Result (Don Tillman, #3)
1 " This was becoming ridiculous. Vast numbers of questions were unanswered, vast amounts of information needed to be exchanged, and now Claudia was introducing further topics. It was fortunate that I was among friends and family, or I would have had some sort of brain-overload-related breakdown. We needed to prioritize the issues to deal with them one by one. "
― Graeme Simsion , The Rosie Result (Don Tillman, #3)
2 " I had observed that neurotypicals criticised autistic people for lacking empathy… but seldom made any effort to improve their own empathy towards autistic people. "
3 " In the adult world, an uneven distribution of abilities is more valuable than mediocrity at everything. It is irrelevant to me whether or not my doctor is adept at hitting a ball with a stick—or finding her way to work without looking at street signs—but I would like her to be as proficient as possible in the practice of medicine. Conversely, at school, being other than unobtrusively average in every area (with the exception of sports) is a distinct disadvantage. "
4 " See how it works? When men are the majority, they make the rules; when they're a minority they get special treatment. "
5 " It’s better to learn from people who have had to work hard to achieve their skills, rather than the naturally talented. "
6 " Resilience appeared to be the equivalent of toughening up, which, when I was a child, was a general excuse for bullying. "
7 " Lack of coolness can be pretty cool. "
8 " Rational argument seldom overcame irrational resistance. "
9 " None of us is expert in all situations. It is a sign of intelligence to recognize our limitations and of maturity to seek help when required. "
10 " Get this in your head, you are not responsible for the consequences of other people's decisions. "
11 " We’ll have to decide if that’s a mandatory requirement or negotiable. If it’s negotiable then we have more scope for innovative solutions. "
12 " In the adult world, an uneven distribution of abilities is more valuable than mediocrity at everything. It is irrelevant to me whether or not my doctor is adept at hitting a ball with a stick – or finding her way to work without looking at street signs – but I would like her to be as proficient as possible in the practice of medicine. Conversely, at school, being other than unobtrusively average in every area (with the exception of sport) is a distinct disadvantage. "
13 " Academics always think they can do any job better, until they try it. "
14 " You both think her work’s more important than me?” “At a global level, yes. If it saves at least two lives, which is likely, then rationally it’s more important. But your mother and I place a huge weighting on your welfare because you’re our son. Fortunately, you have two parents, and I can function as backup. I can perform all tasks that your mother performs. "
15 " I don’t want him regarding women as some other species.” I pointed out that I had attended a co-educational public school and had ended up regarding the majority of the human race as another species. "
16 " It seems to me that you've been giving a lot of encouragement to his friend, but you've been critical of him. Maybe that's because you're more concerned about his development than hers, but all he's going to hear at his age is the criticism. And he'll translate that as you loving him less than her. "
17 " Kellie’s concern with Hudson being coached seemed unreasonable. None of us is expert in all situations. It is a sign of intelligence to recognize our limitations and of maturity to seek help when required. The school had zero problem with him being coached in the physical aspects of the cross-country run but apparently would have thought him deficient if he had sought help with the psychological component. "
18 " Most people found dissection unpleasant, yet it was important to be able to perform unpleasant tasks. Changing diapers, cleaning up vomit, and hugging relatives were life skills. "
19 " Rationally, it seems the obvious thing to do. Which is frequently a trap in situations involving humans. "
20 " I had long ago learned that withholding information from Rosie was unwise. The reduction in her stress levels was more than offset by the increase when she detected deceit. "