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Quote by Henry James

“Changing the form of one's mission's almost as difficult as changing the shape of one's nose: there they are, each, in the middle of one's face and one's character--one has to begin too far back.”

Quote by Henry James

Work

The Portrait of a Lady

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Author

Henry James

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“One of the most remarkable of man's characteristics is his capacity for becoming used to conditions of almost any kind, whether good or bad, both in the self and in the environment, and once he has become used to such conditions they seem to him both right and natural. This capacity is a boon when it enables him to adapt himself to conditions which are desirable, but it may prove a great danger when the conditions are undesirable. When his sensory appreciation is untrustworthy, it is possible for him to become so familiar with seriously harmful conditions of misuse of himself that these malconditions will feel right and comfortable.”

“Während eine Prägung bei einem Tier dauerhaft und unveränderlich ins Verhaltensrepertoire aufgenommen wird und wie angeboren wirkt, zeichnet sich der Mensch dadurch aus, Grenzen (auch Mauern!) zu überwinden. Das zeigt seine Evolution, wie der Kulturgeograf Werner Bätzing in seinem Buch "Homo destructor" nachzeichnet. Der Mensch kann von sich selbst abstrahieren und andere Perspektiven einnehmen, letztlich andere Wege beschreiten. Dass dies nicht immer glücklich ist, oftmals katastrophale Folgen hat, ist ein anderes Thema.”

“By this time, everyone understood that [President] Hayes would adopt a new Southern policy. "As matters look to me now," wrote the chariman of Kansas' Republican state committee on February 22 [1877], "I think the policy of the new administration will be to conciliate the white men of the South. Carpetbaggers to the rear, and niggers take care of yourselves." (p.581)”