"I think ... that life is very much what we choose to make of it. The same could be said for vampirism, of course, though I think it is easier for many to believe that they are slaves to their instincts."
It was easier, perhaps, to have somewhere else to assign the blame for one's actions. Certainly, he had seen vampires crippled by their self-loathing just as he had seen vampires that had taken to the violence and the bloodshed like a duck to water.
"We are not beasts, Stefan, but we are hunters. It is a part of what we are now but you must understand that there is a distinction. That is part of your problem, I think. That you still believe, in your heart of hearts, that you cannot be what you are and not also be a monster."