Individually and collectively, men have always been the victim of their own words […] Taken too seriously, symbols have motivated and justified all the horrors of recorded history. On every level from the personal to the international, the letter kills. Theoretically we know this very well. In practice, nevertheless, we continue to commit the suicidal blunders to which we have become accustomed.
~ Aldous Huxley
Elsewhere, this is 4a1207. — slipbox
Society is not some grand abstraction, my friends. It’s just us. It’s the words we use, which are the thoughts we have, which determine the actions we take.
~ Umair Haque
Elsewhere, this is 4a1206. — slipbox
While you can still avoid shame by hiding, you won’t find happiness or even stability that way. The thing is, shame is a choice. It’s worth repeating: Shame can’t be forced on you; it must be accepted. The artist, then, combines courage with a fierce willingness to refuse to accept shame. Blame, sure. Shame, never. Where is the shame in using our best intent to make art for those we care about?
~ Seth Godin
Elsewhere, this is 4a1205. — slipbox
No amount of sophistication is going to allay the fact that all your knowledge is about the past and all your decisions are about the future.
~ Ian Wilson
Elsewhere, this is 4a1204. — slipbox
Looking at life from a different perspective makes you realize that it’s not the deer that is crossing the road, rather it’s the road that is crossing the forest.
~ Muhammad Ali
Elsewhere, this is 4a1203. — slipbox
Everything feels unprecedented when you haven’t engaged with history.
~ Kelly Hayes
Elsewhere, this is 4a1202. — slipbox
The most important preliminary to the task of arranging one’s life so that one may live fully and comfortably within one’s daily budget of twenty-four hours is the calm realization of the extreme difficulty of the task, of the sacrifices and the endless effort which it demands.
~ Arnold Bennett
Elsewhere, this is 4a1201. — slipbox
If we can accept the idea that all real change is a shift in narrative—a new story as opposed to the received dominant story—then the function of citizenship, or leadership, is to invite a new narrative into existence. Narrative begins with a ride on the wave of conversation. For greatest effect, we need a new conversation with people we are not used to talking to.
~ Peter Block
Elsewhere, this is 4a1200. — slipbox
Our toil must be in silence, and our efforts all in secret; for this enlightened age, when men believe not even what they see, the doubting of wise men would be his greatest strength.
~ Bram Stoker
Elsewhere, this is 4a1199. — slipbox
I’m not interested in whether the glass if half empty or half full. I’m interested in figuring out how to fill the glass.
~ Donal Kaberuka
Elsewhere, this is 4a1198. — slipbox