In “Beautifully Mundane: 10 Bits of Everyday Wisdom from John Updike,” Biographile fills its this week in history column with Updike quotes in honor of the author’s upcoming March 18 birthday—what would have been his 83rd.

Noting Updike’s often-stated goal of trying to “give the mundane its beautiful due,” Biographile has “pulled together some of his most illuminating quotes that are sure to inspire you to view at least one small piece of your life a little more beautifully.”

1. “Halfway isn’t all the way, but it’s better than no way.” (Rabbit Redux, 1969)

2. “Looking foolish does the spirit good.” (Self-Consciousness: Memoirs, 1989)

3. “You don’t stop caring, champ….Once you care, you always care. That’s how stupid we are.” (Rabbit is Rich, 1981)

4. “Whenever somebody tells me to do something my instinct’s always to do the opposite. It’s got me into a lot of trouble, but I’ve had a lot of fun.” (Rabbit at Rest, 1990)

5. “The only way to get somewhere, you know, is to figure out where you’re going before you go there.” (Rabbit Run, 1960)

6. “No act is so private it does not seek applause.” (Couples, 1968)

7. “The size of a life is how you feel about it.” (Rabbit Remembered, 2000)

8. “When you feel irresistable, you’re hard to resist.” (Rabbit at Rest, 1990)

9. “Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.” (Self-Consciousness: Memoirs, 1989)

10. “Any decent kind of world, you wouldn’t need all these rules.” (Rabbit Redux, 1969)