“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.