““It was cowardice, Mr Stevens. Simple cowardice. Where could I have gone? I have no family. Only my aunt. I love her dearly, but I can’t live with her for a day without feeling my whole life is wasting away. I did tell myself, of course, I would soon find some new situation. But I was so frightened, Mr Stevens. Whenever I thought of leaving, I just saw myself going out there and finding nobody who knew or cared about me. There, that’s all my high principles amount to. I feel so ashamed of myself. But I just couldn’t leave, Mr Stevens. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave.””
![“I hadn’t wanted to get involved or to accept any personal responsibility….[so] that I would be ready to drop everything at any moment and flee. Ever since I was a [child] I’ve needed that feeling, that theoretical escape route. It never appealed to me to stay in the same place, making incessant…” quote by Ignácio de Loyola Brandão](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c5e/ignacio-de-loyola-brandao-5843_personal-responsibil_i-hadn-t-wanted-to-get-involved-or-to-ac_1644393.jpg)
![“[D]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without a conscience a man may never be said to grow old. This is an age of very old young men.” quote by Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/076/hesketh-pearson-35291_age_d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-w_14010.jpg)
