And trust yes which is important but that is what I aim towards. Now that is difficult for some people and with that desire to get things as good as possible I would say that I'm probably regarded as quite prickly to work with.

I've learned that success comes in a very prickly package. Whether you choose to accept it or not is up to you.

If they want peace nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon shots.

That's the way this business works: if your movies do well at the box office you will be offered more movies. It doesn't matter if you're a nice guy or you're a prick. If your movies do well there's a job waiting for you in Hollywood. It's not any more complicated than that.

President Obama called for a 'we' nation in his Inauguration Address. Art convenes. It is not just inspirational. It is aspirational. It pricks the walls of our compartmentalized minds opens our hearts and makes us brave. And that's what we need most in our country today.

With copious evidence ranging from Plato's haughtiness to Beethoven's tirades we may conclude that the most brilliant people of history tend to be a prickly lot.