When human beings live together, conflict is inevitable. War is not.

So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so will the temptation to threaten others with overwhelming military force.

A healthy vision of the future is not possible without an accurate knowledge of the past.

We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces; nor are we victims of the past. We can shape and direct history.

One of the things I've always liked about my husband is he's very good at lots of stuff. He was an English teacher when I met him. He wrote poetry and played the guitar. As time went on, he decided to go into economics, so he's very analytical and mathematical in addition to his artsy side.

As a former high school teacher and a student in a class of 60 urchins at St. Brigid's grammar school, I know that education is all about discipline and motivation. Disadvantaged students need extra attention, a stable school environment, and enough teacher creativity to stimulate their imaginations. Those things are not expensive.

By keeping my hand in that, it's the way I keep learning. The main way you learn in medicine is by practicing and working with patients.

When I talk to older people, they're like, 'you know what Karen? Life will always offer you new situations where you'll feel totally inexperienced.' But I think that's a good thing because without struggle you don't learn anything, and if you stop learning, you stop living, you know?