There will be a ton of words written about the death of Roger Ebert today. His being a man of words and having inspired many to write, this is fitting and proper. I could write an entire book on his influence on me, from my disagreements with certain of his reviews or on his views on video games as art all the way to his impact in the past decade on online discussions and culture. Instead I think I’ll simply use his own words, stating a lesson I’m still learning every day:

“To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.”

– Roger Ebert, Life Itself: A Memoir