“One of my favorite things when I fight, even when I used to grapple an...” — Beneil Dariush Quote

One of my favorite things when I fight, even when I used to grapple and do jiu-jitsu, I would face opponents who were better than me technically but I would just stay on them and be as relentless and resilient as possible and eventually the gap would get a little bit closer and a little bit closer and a little bit closer.

I don't just go to a practice, then get some food after and call it a day. I go to practice thinking of what I need to work on, what's my coach teaching me, why he's teaching me this and making sure I don't miss anything. You have to be attentive. I think this is the reason why you see improvements in my game.

If you think it's worth selling yourself out, go for it. But I'm not selling myself out so I can make a little more money. I'm not selling my character out for that.

In Iran, we had a really good life. Everything is good. Iran is considered, I think, a Third World country. I don't know what it is considered but it's not considered to be up there.

Writing isn't a job so much as a compulsion. I've been writing since I was very young because for some strange reason, I must write, and also because when I write, I feel more alive and closer to the world than when I'm not writing.

I think the melody is the first time I hear in a song and if I like the melody, then I'll pay closer attention to the lyrics.

I wasted too much time in my twenties. I worked, but I would do theater in the evening, and during the day I would surf and do irascible things. And then, for some reason, as I got closer to my thirties, I thought, 'Okay Joel, you've wasted enough time.'

As I get older, my emotions are closer to the surface.