“Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, none of them were born in Vienna. They all moved there. It became a magnet, but what made it magnetized in the first place? There has to be a seed there. In the case of Vienna of about 1780, it was this deep-seated love of music.” FirstsMadeBornCasesMovedSeedsMade ItMusic LoveMagnetVienna Author:Eric Weiner
“And yet, over the years I've met so many people like Jared who seem to be more at home, happier, living in a country on of their birth. ... Not political refugees, escaping a repressing regime, nor economic refugees, crossing a border in search of a better-paying job. The are hedonic refugees, moving to a new land, a new culture, because they are happier there. Usually hedonic refugees have an ephiphany, a moment of great clarity when they realize, beyond a doubt, that they were born in the wrong country.” PeopleYearsCountryMomentsHomeSeemsJobsMovingPoliticalCultureRealizingBornDoubtEconomicLandBirthMetsClarityBordersRegimesRefugeeCrossingsEscapingNew Cultures Author:Eric Weiner
“The late British-born philosopher Alan Watts, in one of his wonderful lectures on eastern philosophy, used this analogy: "If I draw a circle, most people, when asked what I have drawn, will say I have drawn a circle or a disc, or a ball. Very few people will say I've drawn a hole in the wall, because most people think of the inside first, rather than thinking of the outside. But actually these two sides go together--you cannot have what is 'in here' unless you have what is out there.' " In other words, where we are is vital to who we are.” PeopleIfsThinkingFirstsTwoPhilosophyTogetherUsedSidesBornWonderfulWallLateDrawsBallsPhilosopherBritishCirclesHolesWho We AreEasternLecturesTwo SidesAnalogiesDiscsEastern Philosophy Author:Eric Weiner
