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Quote by Amor Towles

“At each crossing, faced with the decision of whether to go left, right, or straight ahead, the young man may rely upon the advice he has been given as a child, or the sum of his experiences, or the flip of a coin. But of all the forces that are likely to influence him as he proceeds from one fork to the next, there are few more powerful than the moderate increase in income.”

Quote by Amor Towles

Work

Table for Two

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Author

Amor Towles
Amor Towles

Amor Towles is an American author born in 1964. His works are known for their exquisite prose and profound character development, with notable titles including 'Rules of Civility' and 'A Gentleman in Moscow'. Towles' novels often set in mid-20th-century New York, exploring themes of social class, love, and moral dilemmas. more

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“My human coworker sometimes talks about not wanting to work, and then he'll say something quite odd and rather silly. What is it he says, now? There's more to a person than the work they do, or A person is more than just their work? Something like that. But what else could a person be? Where would your food come from? Who would keep you company? How would you get by without work and without your coworkers?”

“How strange, Royce thought, that, after emerging victorious from more than a hundred real battles, the greatest moment of triumph he had ever known had come to him on a mock battlefield where he'd stood alone, unhorsed, and defeated. This morning, his life had seemed as bleak as death. Tonight, he held joy in his arms. Someone or something—fate or fortune or Jenny's God—had looked down upon him this morning and seen his anguish. And, for some reason, Jenny had been given back to him. Closing his eyes, Royce brushed a kiss against her smooth forehead. Thank you, he thought. And in his heart, he could have sworn he heard a voice answer, You're welcome.”

“When having is the impetus, then the doing is influenced by material concerns, which can never enable us to live our passion. One reason so many people are dissatisfied and unhappy with their work is that they begin by seeking to have rather than to be. When being informs our actions, self-assurance and inner strength will permeate what we do. By focusing on being, we can feel the connection to all life. Work becomes a living, moment-to-moment process in which meaning is ever-present.”