'As children, we love who we can.' 'It's the first law of human conflict: whoever is prepared to do the most damage, no matter what damage he suffers in return, will be the eventual victor. It's one of the qualities that distinguishes us from the animals, this readiness to throw caution to the wind. Faced with a real fight, most animals will compromise. If the odds look bad, one or another will back off, or the fight will be discontinued by mutual consent. Humans are the only animals prepared to fight for a Pyrrhic victory.'
John Burnside, The Dumb House (London: Vintage, 1998) 5; 97-8.
