This is an extract from a short story in the book Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami.
“Speaking of being quick on the draw” I said, “I remember a scene from an old Francois Truffaut film. A woman says to a man, ‘some people are polite, and some are quick. Each one’s a good quality to have, but most of the time quickness trumps politeness. Have you ever seen that film?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Tokai said.
“The woman gave an example. A man opens a door to find a woman inside naked, changing her clothes. The polite person says, ‘Excuse me madam,’ and swiftly shuts the door. The one who says, ‘Excuse me, monsieur’ and shuts the door, now that’s somebody who’s quick.”
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