Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by John Durham Peters

Quote by John Durham Peters

Work

The Marvelous Clouds: Toward a Philosophy of Elemental Media

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

John Durham Peters

Browse famous quotes and profile details for John Durham Peters. more

You May Also Like

“Go up, Ur-Shanabi, pace out the walls of Uruk. Study the foundation terrace and examine the brickwork. Is not its masonry of kiln-fired brick? And did not seven masters lay its foundations? One square mile of city, one square mile of gardens, One square mile of clay pits, a half square mile of Ishtar's dwelling, Three and a half square miles is the measure of Uruk!”

“Sometimes we humans are like brainless chickens, we run around aimlessly and to no avail, we seem to be looking for something that we don't even know what it is, some sort of missing piece, which isn't even there. Why don't most of us realise that life isn't about looking for the missing piece, but actually to learn live with the fact that one might never find it and still have a happy and fulfilled life nonetheless?”

“The fireflies, they are beautiful… But their beauty may not last long. The beetle flashes their light for only a few weeks each summer. After they mate and lay their eggs, they die,” said Phrin. “If their sole purpose is to procreate, then the only worthy thing is their short-lived beautiful life.” She added. “But we are human, not fireflies. Aren’t we? We… have a long life and we live more than just that…”

“There's been about 100 billion people who have ever lived. Do you know how many people can exist? You take a look at the genes and find how many combinations of genes can make an authentic human being. And it is stupendously a larger number than the 100 billion. What it means is you are alive against stupendous odds. You are breathing air, observing sunsets, gazing into the night sky. Most people who could exist will never experience that. [Most people that could exist mathematically]. . .will never exist . . you are as special a living entity as there ever was”