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I Quotes

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All I Quotes

“In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”

“In really good companies, you have to lead. You have to come up with big ideas and express them forcefully. I have always been encouraged -- or sometimes forced -- to confront the very natural fear of being wrong. I was constantly pushed to find out what I really thought and then to speak up. Over time, I came to see that waiting to discover which way the wind was blowing is an excellent way to learn how to be a follower.”

“In really hard times the rules of the game are altered. The inchoate mass begins to stir. It becomes potent, and when it strikes, it strikes with incredible emphasis. Those are the rare occasions when a national will emerges from the scattered, specialized, or indifferent blocs of voters who ordinarily elect the politicians. Those are for good or evil the great occasions in a nation's history.”

“In realtà non esiste nulla al mondo a mio avviso capace di liberarti da te stesso, nessuno che possa tenderti una mano e tirarti su dalla palude se non lo vuoi davvero. Non è il solito discorso motivazionale, stupidate del genere «volere è potere», è solo la constatazione che gli altri non riusciranno ad affrancarti da qualcosa di cosí profondo, una specie di gomitolo che hai nel petto e che si è formato in anni di esperienze traumatiche ed esempi sbagliati. C’è un solo modo per districare il tutto: afferrare il filo da un capo e iniziare a disfare lentamente la tela fino ad arrivare al primo nodo dal quale tutto è partito. Gli ansiolitici (come forse anche la terapia breve del caro terapeuta Cavalli), al contrario, mi dànno l’idea di un trucco furbo che alla fine non ti porta da nessuna parte, come quando ti ritrovi davanti al groviglio degli auricolari (ma come fanno quei benedetti fili ad annodarsi cosí? A proposito di entropia…) e, anziché cercare di capire quale sia il movimento giusto per sbrogliare la matassa, inizi a tirare come un invasato confidando nella forza. Quello che ho capito, in quaranta e passa anni su questa Terra, è che la forza serve fino a un certo punto, è molto piú utile la pazienza." (Lorenzo Marone, inventario di un cuore in allarme)”

“In realtà, riflettendoci, e tornando alle nostre vite terrene, tutti per fortuna siamo sempre presi da un progetto, in ogni momento della nostra vita abbiamo qualcosa da portare a termine, che sia un’opera per un artista, un cantiere per un ingegnere, una casa da ristrutturare per un operaio, una classe da accompagnare alla maturità per un insegnante, una causa importante da vincere per un avvocato, o un nipote da crescere per un nonno. A tutti la fine arriverà a scombussolare i piani, c’è poco da fare. Anzi, c’è molto da fare. Nel frattempo. «L’importante è che la morte mi colga vivo», diceva Marcello Marchesi. Già.”

“In realtà si dovrebbe parlare di attrazione e non di gravitazione. Ogni oggetto, microscopico o macroscopico, è attratto da altri oggetti secondo un rapporto tra la massa e la velocità. Questa legge funziona anche per le persone, anzi soprattutto per le persone. Sono attratte da altre persone ma anche da oggetti, animali, panorami, natura, progetti. [...] Il pilastro è l'amore. L'amore sorregge la nostra esistenza in tutte le sue pieghe, alimenta i desideri, scatena il furore delle passioni e la dolce tenerezza degli affetti.”

“In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only alienates society further. Learning to tolerate absolves people of the responsibility of learning to understand different people, accept and appreciate their differences, and progress towards respecting them for who and what they are. It is only when we build acceptance between people that we will rid ourselves of the scourge of prejudice and liberate ourselves from violence.”

“In recent philosophy there has been a growing awareness of the gap between the abstract principles proposed by philosophers and the ways in which people actually think. The kind of rationality admired in the theory of knowledge is idealization. In the real world people have to act on beliefs often based on fragmentary and unreliable evidence.”

“In recent weeks it has come to my attention that many caravans have met with disaster; they have not gotten through." I grunted wisely. "Probably ran out of water. That's the thing about deserts. Dry." "Indeed. A fascinating analysis. But survivors reaching Hebron report differently: monsters fell upon them in the wastes." "What, fell upon them in a squashed-them kind of way?" "More the leaped-out-and-slew-them kind. (...)”

“In recent years a new International System has been developing, oriented toward the establishment of norms and principles of universal jurisdiction, above national sovereignty, in the areas of what is called the New Agenda...we have to confront ..... what I dare to call the Anglo-Saxon prejudice against the establishment of supra-national organizations.”

“In recent years a smaller share of young adults has been employed than at any time since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking such trends in 1948. So it's not surprising that this generation of youthful protesters has a different focus for their grievances: the economy, stupid. But notice the targets they've chosen to demonize. It's all about class, not age. It's 1% versus 99%, not young versus old. Occupy Wall Street, not Occupy Leisure World.”

“In recent years behavioral scientists have shed some light on why these waiting techniques can be powerful. Let’s first look at the notion that texting back right away makes you less appealing. Psychologists have conducted hundreds of studies in which they reward lab animals in different ways under different conditions. One of the most intriguing findings is that “reward uncertainty”—in which, for instance, animals cannot predict whether pushing a lever will get them food—can dramatically increase their interest in getting a reward, while also enhancing their dopamine levels so that they basically feel coked up. If a text back from someone is considered a “reward,” consider the fact that lab animals who get rewarded for pushing a lever every time will eventually slow down because they know that the next time they want a reward, it will be waiting for them. So basically, if you are the guy or girl who texts back immediately, you are taken for granted and ultimately lower your value as a reward. As a result, the person doesn’t feel as much of an urge to text you or, in the case of the lab animal, push the lever.”