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Quote by Samuel Butler

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Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler

Samuel Butler was an English author and philosopher, renowned for his satirical novel Erewhon and his philosophical writings. Born on December 4, 1835, he was a prominent figure during the Victorian era, influencing both literature and thought. Butler's most celebrated work, Erewhon, was published in 1872. The novel is a satirical commentary on Victorian society and explores the concept of a utopian society. He also authored several philosophical works, including The Way of All Flesh, which was controversial for its criticism of religion and morality. Butler's contributions to literature and philosophy have had a lasting impact. His satirical style and exploration of complex themes have established him as a significant figure in Victorian literature. Despite his controversial views, he remains celebrated for his intellectual contributions. more

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“She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as the sky and as self-contained. I have watched her grow. As recently as three or four years ago, she had a young child's perfectly shallow receptiveness; she fitted into the world of time, it fitted into her, as thoughtlessly as sky fits its edges, or a river its banks. But as she has grown, her smile has widened with a touch of fear and her glance has taken on depth. Now she is aware of some of the losses you incur by being here--the extortionary rent you have to pay as long as you stay.”

“And knowing that the only alternative to your grief is the nothingness that’s fast approaching, you try to embrace your own sorrow, to be open and empty and let it all pass through you. This is the key, you have learned – to relinquish control, to relinquish the desire for control. Even in this late drama, to try to control is to go mad. And so you do your best to let it all go.”

“You wish they understood, as you do, that there is no escape and never was, that from the moment two cells combined to become one they were doomed. You wish they understood that there is joy in this fact, greater joy and love in just this one last moment than they experienced in the entirety of their lives. Because even in this last moment there is still Everything, whole galaxies and eons, the sum total of every experience across time, shrunk to the head of a pin, theirs for the asking, right here, right now. And so anything, anything, anything is possible.”