“Symons remarked that the most common and unhelpful illusion plaguing those who came to see him was the idea that they ought somehow, in the normal course of events, to have intuited long before they had finished their degrees, started families, bought houses and risen to the top of law firms - what they should properly be doing with their lives. They were tormented by a residual notion of having through some error or stupidity on their part missed out on their true calling.” ShouldLongIdeasLawCoursesHouseCommonEventsOughtCallingDegreesNormalIllusionErrorsNotionStupidityFinishedFirmRisenResidualLaw Firms Author:Alain de Botton
“What initially attracted me to The Seventh Seal was that it had values and characteristics which I was familiar with in other art forms, most notably, the European novel and certain forms on English drama, and indeed, in relation to my rather academic interest in history -- not "history" in the normal sense, but history as a form of entertainment . It might be a very unfashionable view but I believe that history is an amazing bank or reserve area of plots, characterisations, extraordinary events, etc.” BelieveArtMightFormCertainValuesI BelieveInterestViewsNovelEventsDramaNormalAreasRelationExtraordinaryEntertainmentFamiliarCharacteristicsEtcPlotAcademicReservesSeals Author:Peter Greenaway
“Everything is 'colossalized' - events, fortunes, accidents, climate, conversation, ambitions - everything is in the extreme ... They can't even have a tram run off a line, which in England or France might kill one or two people, without its making a holocaust of half a street full. ... The thing which surprises me is they should still employ animals of normal size; one would expect to see elephants and mammoths drawing the hansoms and carts!” PeopleShouldStillsTwoMightRunningLinesAnimalHalfUnited StatesStreetsEventsConversationNormalAmbitionEnglandFortuneSurpriseClimateSizeExtremesAccidentsDrawingFranceHolocaustElephantsExaggerationCartsSurprise MeTrams Author:Elinor Glyn
“To dismiss the current extinction wave on the grounds that extinctions are normal events is like ignoring a genocidal massacre on the grounds that every human is bound to die at some time anyway.” HumansDiesEventsNormalBoundsWaveCurrentsExtinctionMassacres Author:Jared Diamond
“First and foremost, prayer is so helpful. But I think that you need to face your fears head on. Don't avoid them or say that you're not scared. Acknowledge it and be honest about it. It's normal to get nervous about a big game or to get nervous about an important event in your life.” ThinkingNeedsFirstsImportantBigsFacesGamesPrayerHonestEventsNormalScaredNervousBeing HonestAcknowledgeHelpfulFace Your FearsImportant Events Author:Matt Cullen
“You should prepare when you go to a public event to be public. That's when I will sign autographs. But not when you're going about your normal business.” ShouldEventsNormalAutographs Author:Robert Redford