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Quote by J.D. Salinger

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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

This classic novel delves into the psyche of Holden Caulfield, a young man who has been expelled from prep school and is navigating the complexities of adolescence. The narrative is a first-person account of Holden's experiences and interactions with various characters, including his younger sister Phoebe, his former teachers, and the other students he encounters. The story is set in the backdrop of post-war New York and is characterized by Holden's cynical and often humorous perspective on the adult world. more

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J.D. Salinger

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“"Were you crying?" Tori peered at my face. "You were." "I-it's nothing. I—" "Simon pulled something, didn't he? Got you out on that walk, and the next thing you know, it's not your hand he's holding." Her eyes blaze. "Guys. They can be such—" "It wasn't like that." "If he pulled that crap, you can tell me. I've had a few surprise first dates myself. Wish I'd had my spells then. Especially the binding one."”

“Nothing is needed more than truth, and in relation to it everything else has only second-rate value." This unconditional will to truth—what is it? Is it the will not to allow oneself to be deceived? Or is it the will not to deceive? For the will to truth could be interpreted in the second way, too—if only the special case "I do not want to deceive myself" is subsumed under the generalization "I do not want to deceive." But why not deceive? But why not allow oneself to be deceived? Note that the reasons for the former principle belong to an altogether different realm from those for the second. One does not want to allow oneself to be deceived because one assumes that it is harmful, dangerous, calamitous to be deceived. In this sense, science would be a long-range prudence, a caution, a utility; but one could object in all fairness: How is that? Is wanting not to allow oneself to be deceived really less harmful, less dangerous, less calamitous? What do you know in advance of the character of existence to be able to decide whether the greater advantage is on the side of the unconditionally mistrustful or of the unconditionally trusting?”