“Television has become the government, priest, psychotherapist - the le...” — Irvine Welsh Quote

Television has become the government, priest, psychotherapist - the legitimiser of our egos.

I think young writers should get other degrees first, social sciences, arts degrees or even business degrees. What you learn is research skills, a necessity because a lot of writing is about trying to find information.

It was around the summer of 1982 when the drug problem really impacted. It became a lifestyle rather than a recreation. When you start lying and stealing, you cannot con yourself you're in control any more.

What happens when you get any kind of entrenched power is that it just becomes kind of corrupt and self-serving.

I always felt like there were always egos involved when I was trying to get music finished in New Order. Sometimes it would feel like I was running through water.

I find it funny how at British festivals there are such inflated egos. It's rare that I even talk to anyone at a lot of them.

If you're a coach, you've got to have a lot of confidence in what you're doing. Your egos are so large that you know it all anyway if you're a coach.

You can tell when people think they're a little bit special, and it's quite fun to laugh at them, and I think it's good to laugh at them, because then you can deflate their egos a bit.

Comedy writers have the most fragile egos.