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Quote wall: E.B. White

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Jg

On the bulletin board above my desk, I keep a handful of quotes that have taught me something, or that I hope to learn from.

Here's one:

I must decline, for secret reasons.

—E.B. White, in a reply to an invitation to join the Committee of the Arts and Sciences for Eisenhower

The full text of the letter reads:

Dear Mr. Adams,

Thanks for your letter inviting me to join the committee of the Arts and Sciences for Eisenhower.

I must decline, for secret reasons.

Sincerely,
E.B.White

I appreciate this one, because I, too, prefer to decline invitations to do most things. It helps me remember that it's all right to say no, and no explanation is required.

quote wall

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