It's about the random acts of kindness which still, magically, preponderate over acts of incivility or nastiness.
-- John Diamond, "Reasons to be cheerful", The Observer, December 31, 2000
And this is not, of course, to speak of the drunks, neurotics, and pure creeps who sometimes appear to preponderate among contemporary authors.
-- Joseph Epstein, "Poison-Pen Pals", Commentary, March 1999
A rational person, of course, will weigh these benefits against the costs; and when baring all involves admitting having committed a crime, the costs will ordinarily preponderate.
-- Richard A. Posner, "Let Them Talk", New Republic, August 21, 2000