Fiction, when it’s done well, will not only entertain, but resonate. It picks out something about the world and says it in a way that you never thought of before. It’s the same thing a good comedian does, only perhaps not quite so often. Let me share one such moment.

“I see. Jared, allow me to share with you my philosophy of human beings. It can be summed up in four words: I like good people. You seem like good people. I can’t say that’s all that matters to everyone, but it’s what matters to me.” – John Scalzi, The Ghost Brigades

Philosophy is a tricky thing. People get degrees in it, ancient philosophers were revered (and are still remembered) than most of the kings who ruled over them, and we all grapple with the confusing intricacies of life from our first day to our very last. How refreshing is it, then, to have a philosophy that is so simple and right?

I like good people. A person could lead a good life, guided by a philosophy like that. Or write good fiction.