Quotes About Individuality

I feel that I am a man. And I feel that a man is a very important thing—maybe more important than a star. This is not theology. I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed— because 'Thou mayest.

tone. "All right," she said, "but how do I go about being a boy?

You know pretty well that I don't think of myself as an individual who wants very much. That is why I am not a good nor consecutive seducer. I have the energy and when I think of it, the desires, but I can't reduce myself to a unit from which the necessary formula emanates.

Cada viaje, safari o exploración es una entidad, diferente de todos los demás viajes. Tiene personalidad, temperamento, individualidad, carácter único. Un viaje es una persona en sí; no hay dos iguales. Y los planes, las salvaguardas, el control y la coerción son todos infructuosos. Descubrimos tras años de lucha que no hacemos un viaje: nos hace él a nosotros.

My old man didn't want me to read. He said I'd desert my own people. But I read anyway.

a world soul he believes can resist the deadening assaults of modern corporate conformism.

The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.

Even despotism does not produce its worst effects, so long as individuality exists under it; and whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called, and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men.

A state which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes--will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished.

The human faculties of perception, judgment, discriminative feeling, mental activity, and even moral preference, are exercised only in making a choice. He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice.

I like old men. They can be wonderful bastards because they have nothing to lose. The only people who can be themselves are babies and old bastards.

Having children is something we think we ought to do because our parents did it, but when it is over the children are just other members of the human race, rather disappointingly.

We wake at different times, and the gallantest flowers are those that bloom in the cold.

it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.

All these prohibitions old people think up. I think people should be free to do what they want unless it's hurting someone else.

be what you are. Don't try to be Sally or Johnny or Fred next door; be yourself.

When I ran from Janice I made an interesting discovery. The tears bubble over her lids and the salty taste of pool-water is sealed into her mouth. If you have the guts to be yourself, he says, other people'll pay your price.

He realised that in a town a man cannot live as he wishes, but as other people wish.

A psychiatrist once told me early in treatment, "Stop trying to make me like you," and what a sobering and welcome smack in the face that statement was. Yet somehow, every day of my life is still a campaign for popularity, or better yet, a crowded funeral.

Go out in the world and fuck it up beautifully.

First of all, accept that something is wrong with you. It's a good start. Something has always been wrong with me, too. We're in a club of sorts, the lunatic fringe who are proud to band together. There's a joyous road to ruin out there, and if you let me be your garbage guru, I'll teach you how to succeed in insanity and take control of your low self-esteem. Personality disorders are a terrible thing to waste.

It wasn't until I started reading ... that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good life without being like everybody else.

Get on the fashion nerves of your peers, not your parents - that is the key to fashion leadership.

Everyone's sex life is funny except your own. Every person's is, and yours never is. The lengths people go to — and the extremes and the conditions and the mental exercises and guilt and shame and happiness that everybody goes through — and what they'll do for sex is never-ending and mind-boggling and very interesting to me. And I don't think a lot of times people choose any of it.