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David Riesman: Free and equal
“The idea that men are created free and equal is both true and misleading: men are created different; they lose their social freedom and their individual autonomy in seeking to become like each other. ” David Riesman. Embed from Getty Images
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Alice Roosevelt Longworth: Simple philosophy
“I have a simple philosophy: Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches.” ~Alice Roosevelt Longworth, American writer, socialite. Embed from Getty Images
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Neil Gaiman: Mistakes
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” —Neil Gaiman.
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Jonathan Edwards: Resolutions
“Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.” —Jonathan Edwards. Embed from Getty Images
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Ralph Waldo Emerson: Best day in the year
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.“ —Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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James X. Mullen: Freedom
“Freedom is being able to live with the consequences of your decisions.” James X. Mullen.
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Andre Maurois: Virtues men pass by
“Modesty and unselfishness – these are the virtues which men praise – and pass by. ”—Andre Maurois. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/508017049
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Ralph Waldo Emerson: Life
“Life is a perpetual instruction in cause and effect.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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Ryan Hall: Never-ending journey
“I have my own unique road that has had many exciting ups and heart-breaking downs, but one thing I know is that my journey is not over and the best is yet to come.” —Ryan Hall, Olympic marathoner. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/137007938
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Jack Welch: Self-confidence
“Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do. Because then they will act. ” —Jack Welch.
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William Shakespeare: Lechery
“Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes; it provokes the desire but takes away the performance.” ~William Shakespeare in Macbeth. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/464420221
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Albert Einstein: Experimentation
“No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong. ” —Albert Einstein. Embed from Getty Images
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Edward Gibbon: Fanaticism
“Fanaticism obliterates the feelings of humanity. ” Edward Gibbon. Embed from Getty Images
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Plato: Servants and masters
“He who is not a good servant will not be a good master. ” Plato.
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Edward Dahlberg: Suffering
“We cannot live, suffer or die for somebody else, for suffering is too precious to be shared. ” Edward Dahlberg. Embed from Getty Images
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Jonathan Swift: Promises and pie-crust
“Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken. ” Jonathan Swift. Embed from Getty Images
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Gerald W. Johnson: Heroes
“Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials, or none at all. ” Gerald W. Johnson.
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Mark Twain: Humorist
“No man need be a humorist all his life. As the patent medicine man says, there is hope for all.” ~Mark Twain.
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Pele: Enthusiasm
“Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.” ~Pele.
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Jay Leno: Christmas in Washington DC
The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t for any religious reasons. They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin. —Jay Leno. Embed from Getty Images
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Lucinda Franks: Christmas in Bethlehem
“Christmas in Bethlehem. The ancient dream: a cold, clear night made brilliant by a glorious star, the smell of incense, shepherds and wise men falling to their knees in adoration of the sweet baby, the incarnation of perfect love.” —Lucinda Franks. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/815645
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Adam Smith: Man and woman
“Humanity is the virtue of a woman, generosity that of a man. ” Adam Smith.
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Martha Gellhorn: Citizenship
“Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it. ” Martha Gellhorn. Embed from Getty Images
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Benjamin Rush: Controversy
“Controversy is only dreaded by the advocates of error. ” Benjamin Rush. Embed from Getty Images
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Titus Maccius Plautus: Contented mind
“A contented mind is the best source for trouble. ” Titus Maccius Plautus.
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John Leonard: Embarassment
“To be capable of embarrassment is the beginning of moral consciousness. Honor grows from qualms.” —John Leonard, critic (1939-2008).
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Charles de Lint: Inimical intentions
“It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one’s intentions, makes one the enemy.” —Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 1951).
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"And in the end…
Originally posted on Archie's blog: “And in the end we are only humans .Drunk, on the idea that love and only love can heal our brokenness. “
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George Santayana: Changing seasons
“To be interested in the changing seasons…is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” ~George Santayana.
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Ray Bradbury: Stupidity on Mars
“It’s not going to do any good to land on Mars if we’re stupid.” ~Ray Bradbury. Embed from Getty Images
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Antoine De Saint-Exupery: Presence and absence
To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence. —Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Embed from Getty Images
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A. J. Langer: Heal
“You can’t be a victim and heal. ” A. J. Langer.
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Sir Thomas More: Rules
“Rules only make sense if they are both kept and broken. Breaking the rule is one way of observing it.” Sir Thomas More.
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Thomas Aquinas: Port and preservation
“If the primary aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. ” Thomas Aquinas.
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Paul Farmer: What's wrong with the world
“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.” ~Paul Farmer. Embed from Getty Images
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Bette Midler: Never
“I made a pact with myself a long time ago: Never watch anything stupider than you. It’s helped me a lot. ” ~Bette Midler.
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Anon: Wasted time
“One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time.” Anon.
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John le Carre: Sole survivors
“Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.” John le Carre, “The Chancellor Who Agreed To Play Spy, in The New York Times, May 8, 1974.
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Roy L. Smith: Not under a tree
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” —Roy L. Smith.
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Warren Buffett: Greed and fear
“We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful. ” Warren Buffett.
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Edwin Markham: Good deeds
“A good action is never lost; it is a treasure laid up and guarded for the doer’s need. ” Edwin Markham.
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Samuel Goldwyn: Applause
“When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy. ” Samuel Goldwyn.
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Ralph W. Trine: Faith
“Faith is an invisible and invincible magnet, and attracts to itself whatever it fervently desires and calmly and persistently expects. ” Ralph W. Trine.
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N.H. Kleinbaum: Language
“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavour, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.” ― N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead…
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Kahlil Gibran: Children
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may…
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Excerpt from "Detective's Log."
Originally posted on A Narcissist Writes Letters, To Himself: I’ve added a new page to this blog. This is a longer work that is still in progress, but I thought it would be fun to try releasing something in a serialized fashion. I will add a chapter every week on Thursdays. You can read the…
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Leo Buscaglia: Freedom
“If we wish to free ourselves from enslavement, we must choose freedom and the responsibility this entails. ” Leo Buscaglia.
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Victoria Pratt: Character and response
“I approach my character with the question: What would an animal think? How would an animal respond? A lot of times, it’s quick action and no fear, and sometimes it’s irrational fear. You don’t always know. ” Victoria Pratt.
