"If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if an hour, I am ready now."

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The public, as a whole, finds reassurance in longevity, and, after the necessary interlude of reaction, is disposed to recognize extreme old age as a sign of excellence. The long-liver has triumphed over at least one of man's initial handicaps: the brevity of life.

— Vita Sackville-West