The poor are discussed as this homogeneous mash, like porridge. The idea that they might be individuals, and be where they are for very different, diverse reasons, again seems to escape some people. J. K. Rowling More Quotes by J. K. Rowling More Quotes From J. K. Rowling It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. J. K. Rowling courage inspirational friendship It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might has well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default. J. K. Rowling success graduation inspirational Part of what makes a language 'alive' is its constant evolution. I would hate to think Britain would ever emulate France, where they actually have a learned faculty whose job it is to attempt to prevent the incursion of foreign words into the language. I love editing Harry with Arthur Levine, my American editor-the differences between 'British English' (of which there must be at least 200 versions) and 'American English' (ditto!) are a source of constant interest and amusement to me. J. K. Rowling wise witty jobs On her daughter, Jessica: Kids at her school will sidle up to me and say, Does Jessica know what happens in book 4? Does Jessica know the title of book 4? And I keep saying, No! There is no point kidnapping her, taking her around back of the bike shed, and torturing her for information. J. K. Rowling daughter mother book Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it. J. K. Rowling magic opinion humble Imagination is ... the foundation of all invention and innovation. J. K. Rowling foundation innovation imagination I've got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don't want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before 'thin'. And frankly, I'd rather they didn't give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls. J. K. Rowling daughter girl stupid I believe in hard work and luck, and that the first often leads to the second J. K. Rowling hard-work luck believe Many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are. They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages; they can close their minds and hearts to any suffering that does not touch them personally; they can refuse to know. I might be tempted to envy people who can live that way, except that I do not think they have any fewer nightmares than I do. The wilfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid. J. K. Rowling exercise heart thinking I think you have a moral responsibility when you've been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently. J. K. Rowling responsibility wise thinking To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. J. K. Rowling motivational sympathy inspirational I'm a writer, and I will write what I want to write. J. K. Rowling babysitter want writing The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed. J. K. Rowling potters our-actions life Sometimes ideas just come to me. Other times I have to sweat and almost bleed to make ideas come. It's a mysterious process, but I hope I never find out exactly how it works. J. K. Rowling sweat creativity ideas Secretly we're all a little more absurd than we make ourselves out to be. J. K. Rowling international-womens-day absurd littles Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect. J. K. Rowling inspirational-harry-potter love death I believe that lack of empathy is behind many problems, and I believe that it's disrupting our society. In Great Britain, there is a steady decline in the willingness to be truly generous, and by that I don't mean monetary generosity, but friendship and sympathy for others. J. K. Rowling generosity mean believe Writing for me is a kind of compulsion, so I don't think anyone could have made me do it, or prevented me from doing it. J. K. Rowling kind writing thinking Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It meets a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts that is something on which to pride yourself but poverty itself is romanticized by fools. J. K. Rowling climbing stress pride I will defend the importance of bedtime stories to my last gasp. J. K. Rowling lasts reading stories