rules - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

As a rule of thumb, people want simple rules yet it is the application thereof that leads to so much societal and cerebral decay. To work from supreme first principles, to work forwards to delineate virtue from vice, is the kind of brain activity that keeps society and brain healthy and strong... but it takes work... far more work than simple rules. So, thumbs up? Thumbs down? Do I get to live another day or are the monsters arriving? Has humanity grown up or not? I guess we will see.