“If you perceive the universe as being a universe of abundance, then it will be. If you think of the universe as one of scarcity, then it will be."

“If you perceive the universe as being a universe of abundance, then it will be. If you think of the universe as one of scarcity, then it will be. And I never thought of the universe as one of scarcity. I always thought that there was enough of everything to go around — that there are enough ideas in the universe and enough nourishment.”

"There is no security in the world, or in life. I don’t mind living with some ambiguity and realizing that eventually, everything changes."

From How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer by Debbie Millman. Quote from Brianpickings article.

"People like clean, clear narratives, but the world is a messy andcomplicated place."

These stories can both be true

"People like clean, clear narratives, but the world is a messy and complicated place. No single theory or storyline is likely to explain something as big as a mass protest movement and political crisis."

From Washington Post article by Max Fisher, "There are two competing stories about what’s happening in Ukraine. They’re both right." February 21, 2014.

'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.'

"The best advice from my own era for you or for just about anybody anytime, I guess, is a prayer first used by alcoholics who hoped to never take a drink again: 'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.' "


"Stop preparing for war and start dealing with your real problems."

"Teach your kids, and yourselves, too, while you're at it, how to inhabit a small planet without helping to kill it."

From Letters of Note: "Ladies and Gentleman of A. D. 2088" by Kurt Vonnegut

"The Real World is Not an Exam"

"From a medical point-of-view it is immensely frustrating — huge medical efforts dismantled by basic lacks. From a humanistic point-of-view it is heartbreaking and angering — how is it possible in this richest of countries that so many of our citizens go hungry? But from an economic point-of-view, it is simply insanity. A single hospital admission surpasses $10,000 before a patient so much as hiccups. A week of food to make it to the end of the month?"

From "When Doctors Give Patients Money" by Danielle Ofri, M.D.

"From more than one, I got exactly the same response. “How bad could he be?” they said with finality. “He passed his boards, didn’t he?” Of course, that final hurdle in the path out of training consists of nailing a gigantic quantity of single best answer questions."

From "The Real World is Not an Exam" by Abigail Zuger, M.D.

- Oh what a reality. 

"does the value of courage also depend on what the acts of courage are aimed at? And is the value if honor equally conditional?"

"Most men would agree that the value of loyalty depends in the object of loyalty. But does the value of courage also depend on what the acts of courage are aimed at? And is the value if honor equally conditional? The bravery of German soldiers who fought for their Fuhrer to the very last may seem meritorious if viewed in a narrow personal perspective as acts of sacrifice and human courage; but seen in a larger context this bravery merely prolonged one of the most criminal of regimes [Hitler's in. WW II]."

From "Patriots against 'traitors' " in  Every War Must End by Fred Charles Ikle 

"you can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple earthly event."

"Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin and they end with no lasting memory made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life. [...] If Tom had learned anything... it was that you can't ascribe great cosmic significance to a simple earthly event. Coincidence, that's all anything ever is, nothing more than coincidence... Tom had finally learned, there are no miracles. There's no such thing as fate, nothing is meant to be. He knew, he was sure of it now."

Girl at Interview: Have I seen you before?
Tom: Me? I don't think so.
Girl: Do you ever go to Angela's Plaza?
Tom: Yes! That's like my favorite place in the city.
Girl: Yea, except for the parking lot.
Tom: Yeah, yeah I agree.
Girl: Yeah, yeah I think I've seen you there.
Tom: Really?
Girl: Yeah...
Tom: I haven't seen you?
Girl: You must not have been looking..
Tom: .....
Tom: My name's Tom.
Girl: Nice to meet you. I'm Autumn.

From 500 days of Summer (2009)

"Trust, then, is simply a bet, and like all bets, it contains an element of risk."

"Trust, then, is simply a bet, and like all bets, it contains an element of risk."

"When there’s ambiguity about how trustworthy he or she is, that sense of preexisting trust will burnish your view; it’ll blur the lines in an effort to push you toward continuing to trust. And, in reality, that’s not a bad thing. … Many instances of perceived untrustworthiness are errors or aberrations. Consequently, forgiveness is a great strategy."

Article from Brainpickings, about The Truth About Trust: How It Determines Success in Life, Love, Learning, and More by David DeSteno.

"If so, this points to the troubling possibility that your primary motivation in taking the decision wasn’t any rational consideration of its rightness for you"

"Consider any significant decision you’ve ever taken that you subsequently came to regret: a relationship you entered despite being dimly aware that it wasn’t for you, or a job you accepted even though, looking back, it’s clear that it was mismatched to your interests or abilities. If it felt like a difficult decision at the time, then it’s likely that, prior to taking it, you felt the gut-knotting ache of uncertainty; afterwards, having made a decision, did those feelings subside? If so, this points to the troubling possibility that your primary motivation in taking the decision wasn’t any rational consideration of its rightness for you, but simply the urgent need to get rid of your feelings of uncertainty."

Article from Brainpickings, about the book by Oliver Burkeman, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking (public library).

"You just keep your eyes open for any bananafish"

"You just keep your eyes open for any bananafish. This is a perfect day for bananafish."

"I don't see any," Sybil said.

"That's understandable. Their habits are very peculiar." He kept pushing the float. The water was not quite up to his chest. "They lead a very tragic life," he said, "You know what they do, Sybil?"

She shook her head.

"Well, they swim into a hole where there's a lot bananas. They're very ordinary-looking fish when they swim in. But once they get in, they behave like pigs. Why, I've known some bananafish to swim into a banana hole and eat as many as seventy-eight bananas. [...] Naturally, after that they're so fat they can't get out of the hole again. Can't fit through the door."

From "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J. D. Salinger

"Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof"

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do

Happy by Pharrell Williams

"You're what you own"

Don't breathe too deep, don't think all day
Dive into work, drive the other way
That drip of hurts, that pint of shame
Goes away, just play the game

You're living in America
At the end of the millennium
You're living in America
Leave your conscience at the tone

And when you're living in America
At the end of the millennium
You're what you own

The filmmaker cannot see
And the songwriter cannot hear
Yet I see Mimi everywhere
Angel's voice is in my ear

[...]

Dying in America
At the end of the millennium
We're dying in America
To come into our own

And when you're dying in America
At the end of the millennium
You're not alone
I'm not alone, I'm not alone

From "What you Own" Musical/Movie: Rent

"But I try to open up to what I don't know."

"Look, I find some of what you teach suspect, because I'm used to relying on intellect. But I try to open up to what I don't know. Because reasons says, I should've died three years ago." No other road. No other way. No day but today.

From "Life Support" Musical/Movie: Rent

"No one is still. Why such a fixation on speed?"

"A man or a woman suddenly thrust into this world would have to dodge houses and buildings. For all is in motion. [...] No one sits under a tree with a book, no one gazes at the ripples on a pond, no one lies in thick grass in the country. No one is still.

Why such a fixation on speed? Because in this world time passes more slowly for people in motion. Thus everyone travels at high velocity, to gain time.

[...]

Frustrated and despondent, some people have stopped looking out their windows. With the shades drawn, they never know how fast they are moving, how fast their neighbors and competitors are moving. They rise in the morning, take baths, eat plaited bread and ham, work at their desks, listen to music, talk to their children, lead lives of satisfaction.

Some argue that only the giant clock tower on Kramgasse keeps the true time, that it alone is at rest. Others point out that even the giant clock is in motion when viewed from the river Aare, or from a cloud."

From Einstein's Dreams: A novel by Alan Lightman

"lots of times you don't know what interest you most till you start talking about something that doesn't interest you most."

Mr. Antolini: "You don't care to have somebody stick to the point when he tells you something?"

Holden: "Oh sure! I like somebody to stick to the point and all. But I don't like them to stick too much to the point. I don't know. I guess I don't like it when somebody sticks to the point all the time. The boys that got the best marks in Oral Expression were the ones that stuck to the point all the time - I admit it. [...]"

[...]

Mr. Antolini: "Don't you think there's a time and place for everything? Don't you think if someone starts out to tell you about his father's farm, he should stick to his guns, then get around to telling you about his uncle's brace?[...]"

Holden: "Yes - I don't know. I guess he should. I mean I guess he should've picked his uncle as a subject, instead of a farm, if that interested him most. But what I mean is, lots of time you don't know what interest you most till you start talking about something that doesn't interest you most. I mean you can't help it sometimes. What I think is, you're supposed to leave somebody alone if he's at least being interesting and he's getting all excited about something. [...] I mean you can't hardly ever simplify and unify something just because somebody wants you to. [...]"

Chapter 24. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Somedays

From Open House for Butterfliesfrom Ruth Krauss

"People always think something's all true."

"People always think something's all true. I don't give a damn, except that I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act older than I am - I really do - but people never notice it. People never notice anything." 

The Catcher In the Rye

J. D. Salinger