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He admired those vast globes of light which appear to your eyes as so many little sparks, while the earth, which in reality is only an imperceptible point in nature, appears to our fond imaginations as something so grand and noble. He then represented to himself the human species, as it really is, as a parcel of insects devouring one another on a little atom of clay. This true image seemed to annihilate his misfortunes, by making him sensible of the nothingness of his own being.
—
Voltaire,
Zadig
When so many are lonely as seem to be lonely, it would be inexcusably selfish to be lonely alone.
—
Tennessee Williams
What source was there back then, save for our overelaborate nervous circuitry, for the evils we were seeing or hearing about simply everywhere.
My answer: There was no other source. This was a very innocent planet, except for those great big brains.
—
Kurt Vonnegut,
Galapagos
In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
—
Albert Camus
Maybe…you’ll fall in love with me all over again.”
“Hell,” I said, “I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?”
“Yes. I want to ruin you.”
“Good,” I said. “That’s what I want too.
—
Ernest Hemingway,
A Farewell To Arms
As the tide washed in, the Dutch Tulip Man faced the ocean: “Conjoiner rejoinder poisoner concealer revelator. Look at it, rising up and rising down, taking everything with it.”
“What’s that?” Anna askedd.
“Water,” the Dutchman said. “Well, and time.
—
John Green,
The Fault in Our Stars
Peter Van Houten,
An Imperial Affliction
If we listened to our intellect we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go in business because we’d be cynical: “It’s gonna go wrong.” Or “She’s going to hurt me.” Or,”I’ve had a couple of bad love affairs, so therefore …” Well, that’s nonsense. You’re going to miss life. You’ve got to jump off the cliff all the time and build your wings on the way down.
—
Ray Bradbury
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
—
T.S. Eliot
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.
—
Herman Melville
I hope something happens. I’m restless as the devil and have a horror of getting fat or falling in love and growing domestic.
—
F. Scott Fitzgerald,
This Side of Paradise
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