Quotes About Humanity

Elizabeth Berg

We're miserable because we think that we are mere individuals, alone with our fears and flaws and resentment and mortality.

This is what we are like. Collectively as a species, this is our emotional landscape. I met an old lady once, almost 100 years old, and she told me, There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who's in charge? Everything else is somehow manageable. But these two questions of love and control undo us all, trip us up and cause war, grief, and suffering.

Man is a demon, man is a god. Both true.

As far as we know, we are the only species on the planet who have been given the gift-or curse, perhaps-of awareness about our own mortality. Everything here eventually dies; we're just the lucky ones who get to think about this fact every day.

Most of humanity, he said, have eyes that are so caked shut with the dust of deception they will never see the truth, no matter who tries to help them.

The appreciation of pleasure can be the anchor of humanity.

This sadness is one of the great trials of the human experiment. As far as we know, we are the only species on the planet who have been given the gift - or curse, perhaps - of awareness about our own mortality. Everything here eventually dies; we're just the lucky ones who get to think about this fact every day.

One thing was certain: Human Time was the saddest, maddest, most devastating variety of time that had ever existed. She tried her best to ignore it.

In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.

What a large number of factors constitute a single human being! How very many layers we operate on, and how very many influences we receive from our minds, our bodies, our histories, our families, our cities, our souls and our lunches!

Then my mercy swelled, and for just a moment I felt mercy for everyone who has ever gotten involved in an impossibly messy story. All those predicaments that we humans find ourselves in - predicaments that we never see coming, do not know how to handle, and then cannot fix.

Bhuta ia, dewa ia. (Bali expression meaning Man is a demon, man is a god.)

But whenever I see it happen, I always want to say the same thing. Good luck. Because you still have a woman in front of you, my friend. And you are still a man. It's still two human beings trying to get along, so it's going to become complicated. And love is always complicated. But still humans must try to love each other, darling. We must get our hearts broken sometimes. This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.

The classical Indian sages wrote that there are three factors which indicate whether a soul has been blessed with the highest and most auspicious luck in the universe: 1. To have been born a human being, capable of concious inquiry. 2. To have been born - or to have developed - a yearning to understand the nature of the universe. 3. To have found a living spiritual master.

I especially loved to walk around at night and catch glimpses through windows of strangers living their lives. So many different dinnertimes, so many different work hours. Everyone was different ages, different races. Some people were resting, some laboring, some all alone, some celebrating in boisterous company. I never tired of moving through these scenes. I relished the sensation of being one small dot of humanity in a larger ocean of souls.

I can only assume that she was like all of us—a complicated being, composed of more than one man's impressions.

Intr-o lume a dezordinii, a dezastrelor si a coruptiei, frumusetea ramane cateodata singurul lucru in care te poti increde. Doar excelenta in arta e incoruptibila. Placerea nu poate fi inselata. Si uneori, o masa copioasa e singura moneda reala. Aprecierea placerii poate fi punctul de sprijin al umanitatii fiecaruia dintre noi.

This is what we are like. Collectively, as a species, this is our emotional landscape. I met an old lady once, almost one hundred years old, and she told me, There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who's in charge? Everything else is somehow manageable. But these two questions of love and control undo us all, trip us up and cause war, grief and suffering.

Ajalugu tunneb ainult kahte küsimust, mis inimesi võitlusse tõukab: Kui siiras on sinu armastus? Ja: Kelle käes on ohjad?. Kõige muuga saab kuidagimoodi hakkama.

someday you will understand that nobody passes through this world without suffering—no matter what you may think of them and their supposed good fortune.

His face is a comprehensive encyclopaedia of kindness.

the appreciation of pleasure can be an anchor of one's humanity.

Que quantidade incrível de fatores constitui um único ser humano! Em quantas camadas nós funcionamos, e que quantidade de influências recebemos de nossas mentes, corpos, histórias, famílias, cidades, almas e almoços!