Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.
- Leo Buscaglia
“In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in his cosmic loneliness.
And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close to mud as man sat, looked around, and spoke. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely.
"Everything must have a purpose?" asked God.
"Certainly," said man.
"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God.
And He went away.”
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
In awe, I watched the waxing moon ride across the zenith of the heavens like an ambered chariot towards the ebony void of infinite space wherein the tethered belts of Jupiter and Mars hang, for ever festooned in their orbital majesty. And as I looked at all this I thought... I must put a roof on this toilet.
Les Dawson
“I want to fill a jar with a lot of clapping, and sell my applause next to the applesauce in a grocery store. You can eat the praise you didn’t earn, but did pay for.”
― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale
Who am I? Why am I here?
- James Stockdale
I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have.
I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.
Abraham Lincoln
@eurocelticyankee,
"The heaven speaks not; it causes its thoughts to be promulgated by a man."
Tung Chung-shu.
“A man said to the universe: 'Sir, I exist!'
'However,' replied the universe.
'The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”
― Stephen Crane, War Is Kind and Other Poems
Women are, in my view, natural peacemakers. As givers and nurturers of life, through their focus on human relationships and their engagement with the demanding work of raising children and protecting family life, they develop a deep sense of empathy that cuts through to underlying human realities.
Daisaku Ikeda
(Well... he obviously hasn't met some of the women I've met.)
@eurocelticyankee,
Nor those I have met. Which was a lot.
@eurocelticyankee,
Quote:(Well... he obviously hasn't met some of the women I've met.)
Or Margaret Thatcher, or Madeline Albright or Hilary Clinton.
“Irene gasped. "Have you taken leave of your senses, Stuart?" she hissed. "Have you?"
Stuart closed his eyes.
"No," he said. "Au contraire." It was strong language for the Edinburgh New Town, but he had to say it.
"Don't au contraire me," said Irene.
But it was too late. He had.”
― Alexander McCall Smith, Sunshine on Scotland Street
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it and then misapplying the wrong remedies.
- Mark Twain
Good luck - “Depend on the rabbit’s foot if you will, but remember it didn’t work for the rabbit.“ – R.E. Shay
“Be like the cliff against which the waves continually break; but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“When **** becomes valuable, the poor will be born without assholes.”
― Henry Miller
Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.
- Kurt Vonnegut
Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.
- Albert Schweitzer
