Civilised life is based on a huge number of illusions
in which we all collaborate willingly.
The trouble is, we forget after a while
that they are illusions and
we are deeply shocked
when reality is torn down around us.
J.G. Ballard, The Guardian interview 2003
The way we see the problem is the problem.
Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
I suspect the most we can hope for,
and it's no small hope,
is that we never give up,
that we never stop giving ourselves permission
to try to love and receive love.
Elizabeth Strout, Abide with Me: A Novel
Jesus did not give the parables to teach us how to live.
He gave them, I believe, to correct our notions
about who God is and who God loves.
Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?
It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.
Wendell Berry
We are too much in awe of those who succeed
and far too dismissive of those who fail.
And, most of all, we become much too passive.
We overlook just how large a role we all play—
and by “we” I mean society—
in determining who makes it and who doesn’t.
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success
If nothing matters,
it should not matter that nothing matters,
and yet it does matter.
Irvin D. Yalom, Existential Psychotherapy