“Human life is fragile: we live in the space between one breath and the next. We often try to maintain an illusion of permanence, through what we do, say, wear, buy, and how we enjoy ourselves and who and how we love. Yet it is an illusion that is constantly being undermined by change and death. We can use diamonds in whatever way we like. They are empty things, pretty as water, yet within them—if we want to see it—there is blood, dust, love, curses, and suffering. There is desire to make someone happy, there is admiration, there is ostentation…and there is a company’s profit curve.” IfsWayWantTryingHumansUseLife IsDesireSufferingNextEnjoyWaterSpaceCompanyBloodIllusionEmptyBreathsProfitDustHuman LifeCurseAdmirationFragileDiamondCurvesPermanenceSpace BetweenOstentationLife Is FragileMake Someone Happy Author:Victoria Finlay
“But if objects for gratitude and admiration are our desire, do they not present themselves every hour to our eyes?” IfsEyeDesireHoursObjectsGratitudeIndependenceAdmiration Book:The Theological Works of Thomas Paine Source: The Theological Works of Thomas Paine
“Can desire grow out of admiration, or are the two quite distinct species? What would it be like to lie side by side, naked, breast to breast, with a woman one principally admires?” TwoLyingDesireGrowsSidesSpeciesNakedAdmireBreastsAdmiration Book:Slow Man Source: Slow Man
“The passion for praise, which is so very vehement in the fair sex, produces excellent effects in women of sense, who desire to be admired for that which only deserves admiration.” DesirePassionSexEffectsProduceDeserveFairsPraiseExcellentAdmirationVehement Book:The spectator Source: The spectator
“Vanity is so anchored in the heart of man that a soldier, a soldier's servant, a cook, a porter brags and wishes to have his admirers. Even philosophers wish for them. Those who write against vanity want to have the glory of having written well; and those who read it desire the glory of having read it. I who write this have perhaps this desire, and perhaps those who will read it.” MenWantWritingWellsHeartDesireWishWrittenGloryPhilosophicalSoldierPhilosopherVanityCooksServantAdmirationBragAdmirer Book:Pensées Source: Pensées
“Vanity, or to call it by a gentler name, the desire of admiration and applause, is, perhaps, the most universal principle of humanactions.... Where that desire is wanting, we are apt to be indifferent, listless, indolent, and inert.... I will own to you, under the secrecy of confession, that my vanity has very often made me take great pains to make many a woman in love with me, if I could, for whose person I would not have given a pinch of snuff.” IfsPersonsMadePainDesireNamesGivenPrinciplesUniversalPraiseVanityIf I CouldAdmirationConfessionIndifferentSecrecyApplauseSnuff Author:Lord Chesterfield