Favorite passages, quotes, poems

[RainyCoast]

“It is always from the depths of its impotence that each power center draws its power, hence their extreme maliciousness, and vanity”

 

― Gilles Deleuze, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia

[RainyCoast]

“An image of thought called philosophy has been formed historically and it effectively stops people from thinking.” ― Gilles Deleuze, Dialogues II

[RainyCoast]

“The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied … but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.”

 

— John Berger

[RainyCoast]

All the religions had very strong views about talking to the dead. And so did Mrs. Cake. They held that it was sinful. Mrs. Cake held that it was only common courtesy.

 

— Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

[RainyCoast]

“As soon as something is represented it becomes an image of itself, semiotically richer but existentially impoverished, alienated, drawn out of itself and extenuated—a potential commodity.”

 

— Hakim Bey

[LaHermes]

Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly,

‘Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;

The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,

And I’ve a many curious things to show when you are there.”

“Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “to ask me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”

“Sweet creature!” said the Spider, “you’re witty and you’re wise,

How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!

I’ve a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,

If you’ll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.”

“I thank you, gentle sir,” she said, “for what you’re pleased to say,

And bidding you good morning now, I’ll call another day.”

Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,

Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;

With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,

Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue —

Thinking only of her crested head — poor foolish thing! At last,

Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.

He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,

Within his little parlour — but she ne’er came out again!

And now dear little children, who may this story read,

To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed:

Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,

And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.

 

Sound dismally familiar? Yes?

 

The fly ignored those bright red flags.

 

Flattery is the weapon of the predator.

[LaHermes]

“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” Socrates

[LaHermes]

Rather apt.

 

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

Benjamin Franklin

[LaHermes]

"The losers in life think they have all the answers. They can’t learn because they’re too busy telling everyone what they know."

Robert Kiyosaki

[LaHermes]

"When we are very anxious about something it can help to ask and answer a few structured questions. What do I fear will happen? What do I hope will happen? What do I expect will actually happen? The answer to the third question can bring you back to a sense of proportion and balance." (Padraig O'Morain)

[LaHermes]

Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.

— Pema Chodron

 

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.

 

— Arthur Somers Roche

[LaHermes]

“Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.” – Eckhart Tolle

 

“The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, “what is” is what we want.” – Byron Katie

[LaHermes]

"Lots of us have minds that are less like scientists and more like drama queens (of all genders). We can lower stress by dropping the drama and working with facts which are usually less scary."

- Padraig O'Morain

[LaHermes]

If the cap fits...

 

"“Delusion detests focus and romance provides the veil.”

― Suzanne Finnamore, Split: A Memoir of Divorce"

 

“The greater the gap between self perception and reality, the more aggression is unleashed on those who point out the discrepancy.”

― Stefan Molyneux

 

“The only people that can't handle the truth are those that suffer so much anxiety that they will live in denial, in order to prevent their illusion from being destroyed and feeling more anxiety.”

― Shannon L. Alder

[LaHermes]

""Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, glory in the flower

We will grieve not; rather find

Strength in what remains behind."

 

W. Wordsworth

[LaHermes]

"“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

― Mark Twain"

 

"“Hundreds of wise men cannot make the world a heaven, but one idiot is enough to turn it into a hell.”

― Raheel Farooq

[LaHermes]

"We understand very well how to interpret in other people the same acts which we refuse to acknowledge in ourselves."

Sigmund Freud

[LaHermes]

"“Rational argument can be conducted with some prospect of success only so long as the emotionality of a given situation does not exceed a critical degree.”

― Carl G. Jung

 

"I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.

 

Edward Gibbon

[LaHermes]

So graphic, so pertinent

 

"“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you. There is an undeniable mind-body connection. Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds. Don't turn your hair gray. Don't carve a roadmap of pain into the sweet wrinkles on your face. Don't lay in the quiet with your heart pounding like a trapped, frightened creature. For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!”

― Bryant McGill"

https://bryantmcgill.com/about/

[LaHermes]

"Haters try to expose what's wrong with you, because they're are jealous of everything that's right about you. " (Unknown)

 

"There is no rest for the person who has envy, and there is no love for the person who has bad manners."

 

(Hazrat Ali)

[LaHermes]

"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter" Mark Twain

 

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road" Henry Ward Beecher

 

"Humor is the affectionate communication of insight". Leo Rosten

 

Of course nothing much can be done about the chronically humourless.

[LaHermes]

"Hope matters because its opposite is toxic to our emotional wellbeing. Also, it can lift your spirits straight away and that’s a reward in itself even if you don’t get what you were hoping for. So time considering what you hope for in a day or a situation is time well spent.

"

Padraig O'Moráin

[LaHermes]

"If malice or envy were tangible and had a shape, it would be the shape of a boomerang."

Charley Reese

 

"“There are people on whom even clean linen looks indecent.”

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Demons

[maritalbliss86]

So graphic, so pertinent

 

"“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you. There is an undeniable mind-body connection. Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds. Don't turn your hair gray. Don't carve a roadmap of pain into the sweet wrinkles on your face. Don't lay in the quiet with your heart pounding like a trapped, frightened creature. For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!”

― Bryant McGill"

https://bryantmcgill.com/about/

 

WOW That is a brilliant quote, LH.

 

How interesting... I've never seen anxiety this way, but perhaps it's a warning sign something isn't right?

[LaHermes]

"Dwelling on stressful memories produces stress hormones in the body and increases our blood pressure. Better to return to awareness of the moment or to calmly make a plan to avoid a repetition of what you are stressed about."

Padraig O¡Moráin