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Quote wall: E.B. White

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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.

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