Nature, sentimentalized Nature, sentimentalized and considered as the antithesis of cities, is apparently assumed to consist of grass, fresh air and little else, and this ludicrous disrespect results in the devastation of nature even formally and publicly preserved in the form of a pet. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities respectnature
Think better of it This is, of course, the best way to salvage any kind of sorted-out project, up to the time it is actually built: Think better of it. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities respect
The assumption of equality Classic writing, with its assumption of equality between writer and reader, makes the reader feel like a genius. Bad writing makes the reader feel like a dunce. Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style Long, unwieldy sentences respect
Spatial expectations Loya, who served seven years in prison for multiple bank heists before becoming a writer, explained to me that it was during the getaway that he often had the best chance of thwarting people’s spatial expectations. In his case, this meant that what he did immediately after leaving the bank was often the most important decision of all. Geoff Manaugh, A Burglar's Guide to the City Bandits