“It's the notion that there is no perfection - that there is a broken world and we live with broken hearts and broken lives but still there is no alibi for anything. On the contrary, you have to stand up and say hallelujah under those circumstances.” WorldLifeHeartStillsBrokenCircumstancesPerfectionNotionContraryHallelujahBroken World Author:Leonard Cohen
“To be pleased at correction and reproofs shows that one loves the virtues which are contrary to those faults for which he is corrected and reproved. And, therefore, it is a great sign of advancement in perfection.” ShowsInspirationFaithVirtuePerfectionFaultsContraryOne LoveAdvancementCorrectionsReproof Author:Saint Francis de Sales
“Consultation and compliance can conduce little to the perfection of any literary performance; for whoever is so doubtful of his own abilities as to encourage the remarks of others, will find himself every day embarrassed with new difficulties, and will harass his mind, in vain, with the hopeless labour of uniting heterogeneous ideas, digesting independent hints, and collecting into one point the several rays of borrowed light, emitted often with contrary directions.” WritingMindLittlesIdeasLightAbilityPerfectionPerformancesDifficultyIndependentContraryVainLabourHopelessRaysEmbarrassedRemarksCollectingHintsBorrowedDoubtfulComplianceUnitingConsultation Book:Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings Source: Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings
“Business by no means forbids pleasures; on the contrary, they reciprocally season each other; and I will venture to affirm, that no man enjoys either in perfection that does not join both.” MeanDoeEnjoyPleasurePerfectionSeasonsContraryVenture Author:Lord Chesterfield
“In this world, perfection is an illusion. Reagrdless of all those who utter the contrary, this is the reality. Obviously mediocre fools will forever lust for perfection and seek it out. However, what meaning is there in perfection? None. Not a bit. ...After perfection there exists nothing higher. Not even room for creation which means there is no room for wisdom or talent either. Understand? To scientists like ourselves, perfection is despair. - Kurotsuchi Mayuri (Bleach 306)” WorldMeanRealityBitsRoomsForeverTalentCreationThis WorldFoolHigherDespairIllusionPerfectionScientistContraryLustMediocreBleach Author:Tite Kubo
“There were profound reasons for his attachment to the sea: he loved it because as a hardworking artist he needed rest, needed to escape from the demanding complexity of phenomena and lie hidden on the bosom of the simple and tremendous; because of a forbidden longing deep within him that ran quite contrary to his life's task and was for that very reason seductive, a longing for the unarticulated and immeasurable, for eternity, for nothingness. To rest in the arms of perfection is the desire of any man intent upon creating excellence; and is not nothingness a form of perfection?” MenReasonFormLyingDesireArtistSimpleSeaArmsNeededCreatingPerfectionTasksEternityLongingExcellenceProfoundContraryRanComplexityAttachmentNothingnessForbiddenBosomsSeductiveDeep WithinHardworking Author:Thomas Mann
“If you expect perfection from people your whole life is a series of disappointments, grumblings and complaints. If, on the contrary, you pitch your expectations low, taking folks as the inefficient creatures which they are, you are frequently surprised by having them perform better than you had hoped.” PeopleIfsInspirationalWholeLife IsCreaturesLowsExpectationsPerfectionSeriesFolksDisappointmentContraryWhole LifeComplaintsBetter Than YouGrumbling Author:Bruce Barton
“The American war is over; but this far from being the case with the American revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the drama is closed. It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government, and to prepare the principles, morals, and manners of our citizens for these forms of government after they are established and brought to perfection.” FirstsWarGovernmentFormPerfectMoralPrinciplesCasesRevolutionCitizensDramaPerfectionRemainsContraryMannersForms Of GovernmentAmerican RevolutionAmerican War Author:Benjamin Rush
“The essence of peace is to merge two opposites. Therefore your notions should not scare you if you see another, who absolutely opposes you, and you presume that there is no chance for peace between you two. On the same token when you see two individuals who are exactly two opposites, never say it would be impossible for them to reconcile. On the contrary, and this is the perfection of peace to make it between two opposites.” IfsShouldTwoWould BeIndividualPeaceChanceImpossiblePerfectionEssenceOppositesNotionContraryScareReconcileTokensTwo Opposites Author:Nachman of Breslov