Quotes About Philosophy

The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, 'First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.' Good old Epictetus. I would be Confident Girl, and that means unplastering myself from the side of this building, for starters.

Existe el pasado y existe el futuro», les había dicho a sus hermanos y hermanas no hacía tanto. «El presente no es más que el breve instante que separa uno de otro.»

Might they just be two ways of saying the same thing? Suppose 'Heave' and 'Hell' are just other universes.

There was only the present, and it was infinite. The past and the future were just blinders we wore so that infinity wouldn't drive us mad.

Surely there are other ways to live—" "No. Only death remains. One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly. Nietzsche said that, you know. Wise man. Large mustache." "Izîl, you can't mean you want to die." "If only there was a way to be free…

He thought that there was plenty out there, and allowed that maybe some of it was even eternal, but he wasn't sure any of it needed a name and so many little houses built on its behalf in the countryside out of wood and stone.

Apakah yang dikatakan oleh kesedihan kepada matamu, yang membatalkan semua yang indah dari kehidupan?

That also doesn't mean that your mind should be closed to other religions. You can study any religion; you can check it out. The problem is that when you choose one particular religion, you get too extreme about its ideas and then put other religions and philosophies down. This happens because you don't know the purpose of religion, why it exists or how to practice. If you did, you'd never feel insecure about other religions.

A man can never have too much Time to himself, nor too little to do. Had I a little son, I would christen him Nothing-To-Do; he should do nothing. Man, I verily believe, is out of his element as long as he is operative. I am altogether for the life contemplative.

For Guy Davenport--whom he told me John Barth once called the last modernist--modernism is 'a renaissance of the archaic'.

This is the most exciting part of being human. It is using our brains in the highest way. Otherwise we are just healthy animals.

Life is but sighs; and, when they cease, 'tis over.

Every witticism is an inexact thought; that which is perfectly true is imperfectly witty.

Regret is such a pointless emotion, don't you agree?

I knew then that I hadn't stopped believing in God. I'd just stopped believing God cared. There might be a God, Clary, and there might not, but I don't think it matters. Either way we're on our own.

Pulvis et umbra sumus," said James once, out loud in class, after hearing too many whispers. "My father says that sometimes. We are but dust and shadows. Maybe I'm just -getting a head start on all of you.

It's already bad. I'm honestly not sure how much worse it's going to get. Notice that I didn't say couldn't get worse. It can always get worse. I know this. And thus I refuse to tempt fate. Superstitious -- probably. But magic exists. So does karma, and karma can be a bitch.

There was no division I could see between the essential teaching of all Prophets and wise men of religion.

Melancholy in this sense is the character of Mortality.'34 'And he that knows not this, & is not armed to endure it, is not fit to live in this world.'35

Paucis notus, paucioribus ignotus, Hic jacet Democritus Junior, Cui vitam dedit et mortem Melancholia Known to few, unknown to even fewer, Here lies Democritus Junior, To whom Melancholia Gave life and death.

Who needs a lifetime?

So many people never pause long enough to make up their minds about basic issues of life and death. It's quite possible to go through your whole life, making the mechanical motions of living, adopting as your own sets of ideas you've come to any conclusion for yourself as to what life is all about.

I can no longer pretend that I believe in God. It's highly possible that I lost this belief when I started having sexual relationships.

I have no idea why time does what it does. Or why people do what we do. It's all a mystery to me.