To paraphrase E.B. White, the perfect sentence is one from which nothing can be added or removed. Every word plays its part. In my more giddy moments I think that a simple comic strip featuring Calvin, a preternaturally bright six year-old, and Hobbes, his imaginary tiger friend, features some of the most lucid sentences committed to print. And when I sober up, I usually think exactly the same. Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes ran between 1985 and 1995. His comic strip managed to infuse wondering (and wandering) on a cosmic scale into an ageless world of lazy Sunday afternoons, snow goons, and harassed babysitters. I’m not saying that you should take moral and philosophical guidance from the inventor of Calvinball (a game that runs on chaos theory), but you could do much worse. So here, in no particular order, is a selection of quotes that nail everything from the meaning of life to special underwear. Enjoy.

1. 10
things
Explained
Better than
Anyone else

2. #1 - On
life’s
constant
little
limitations
You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky
rocket ship underpants don’t help.

3. # 2 - On why we are
scared of the dark
I think night time is
dark so you can
imagine your fears
with less distraction.

4. # 3 - On the unspoken truth behind the education system
As you can see, I have memorized this utterly useless piece of information long
enough to pass a test question. I now intend to forget it forever. You’ve taught
me nothing except how to cynically manipulate the system. Congratulations.

5. # 4 - On the falling of sparrows
Life is full of surprises,
but never when you need
one.

7. # 6 - On why ET is real
Sometimes I think the surest
sign that intelligent life exists
elsewhere in the universe is
that none of it has tried to
contact us.

8. So the secret to good self-esteem is to lower your
expectations to the point where they’re already
met?

9. #8 - On Work
It's only work if
somebody makes you
do it.

10. #9 - On Greatness
You know how people are. They only
recognize greatness when some
authority confirms it.
"

11. #10 - On Humour
I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably
so we can think twice