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W Quotes

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All W Quotes

“What Polybius said next has great importance for those who wish to understand the situation of the United States in our time. According to Polybius, “When a commonwealth, after warding off many great dangers, has arrived at a high pitch of prosperity, it is evident that, by the lengthened continuance of great wealth, the manner of life of its citizens will become more extravagant….” He further suggested that this “extravagance of living will prove the beginning of a deterioration.” Flattered by office-holders who say the people are being “cheated” by the avaricious few, the public will direct their “passionate resentment” and anger at those natural leaders who previously brought prosperity to the state. Urged on by demagogues, the people will refuse to follow the laws; neither will they be content with equality under the law.”

“What pornography has done is to make life far harder for those women in the front line of sexual servitude in that men now expect prostitutes - not just *civilian* women - to act like porn stars. The repulsive reviews of punters on various online forums bear this out as women are rebuked most often for "staying still" and "looking sad" rather than pretending to enjoy being penetrated by strangers as porn performers do.”

“What position do I occupy inside her consciousness, Rika wondered, as the woman she hurt so thoroughly-- the woman she let in, and then succeeded in ruining? But then, she asked herself, was I ruined? In the end, it was probably correct to say that Kajii hadn't even succeeded in doing that. 'You can't even be properly ruined!' Kajii had once bellowed at her, maliciously. The people who had wished not only for Kajii's ruin but Rika's as well must have been trembling in dissatisfaction and despair. And yet, however much scorn Kajii might pour on her way of life, which consisted in proceeding clumsily forward, stopping and starting, changing course as she went, Rika no longer had any intention of altering it. Now that she was able to produce with her own two hands what she felt to be lacking, she sensed that tomorrow and the day after would, if anything, be better than today.”

“What possessed us? We were so happy! Why, then, did we take the stake of all we had and place it all on this outrageous gamble of having a child? Of course you consider the very putting of that question profane. Although the infertile are entitled to sour grapes, it's against the rules, isn't it, to actually have a baby and spend any time at all on that banished parallel life in which you didn't.”

“What possibilities exist here? What is presenting itself to me IN THIS MOMENT that I can use? In a very real sense, it's meditation in motion, the practical application of an esoteric practice. And it relies on the acceptance of serendipity. Serendipity, the effect of accidentally discovering something fortunate”

“What power can poverty have over a home where loving hearts are beating with a consciousness of untold riches of the head and heart?”

“What President Obama has done so masterfully of late is to say, in so many words, "I'm signing this executive order permitting federal funding for stem cell research, but I realize that many good, moral people are opposed to this, and I don't take that lightly." I think we can be more civil and empathetic in our discussions of public policy, and I hope my book can be a contribution to that tone.”

“What President of the Airline is doing is, he's urging everyone to give up their frequent flyer miles for sick kids... But as I was reading this, there were two empty seats next to me. Why can't sick kids sit there? If they're so concerned with sick kids, shouldn't they have like a pen of sick kids next to the gate?”

“What pretty oracles nature yields us on this text, in the face and behaviour of children, babes, and even brutes! That divided and rebel mind, that distrust of a sentiment because our arithmetic has computed the strength and means opposed to our purpose, these have not. Their mind being whole, their eye is as yet unconquered, and when we look in their faces, we are disconcerted. Infancy conforms to nobody: all conform to it, so that one babe commonly makes four or five out of the adults who prattle and play to it. So God has armed youth and puberty and manhood no less with its own piquancy and charm, and made it enviable and gracious and its claims not to be put by, if it will stand by itself. Do not think the youth has no force, because he cannot speak to you and me.”