Quotes About Perspective

If you jump to conclusions, you make terrible landings.

Everything that ever happened is just stories now, Earl. But it was all very real to people while it was happening. Wasn't it?

Memoirs, as everyone knows, make bad history.

It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living.

If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

A European says: I can't understand this, what's wrong with me? An American says: I can't understand this, what's wrong with him? I make no suggestion that one side or other is right, but observation over many years leads me to believe it is true.

God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody], to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.

Time is a drug. Too much of it kills you.

DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.

One of the advantages of no longer being young is that you're expected to start making up your mind about certain things.

Choosing with integrity means finding ways to speak up that honor your reality, the reality of others, and your willingness to meet in the center of that large field. It's hard sometimes.

Do not always assume the other fellow has intelligence equal to yours. He may have more.

Think about it: Why should we care whether what makes us happy is just an electrical impulse in our brain or something funny that we see some fool do on TV? Does it matter what makes you smile? Wouldn't you rather be happy for no reason than unhappy for good reasons?

Since when did pursuit of quality of life trump actual quaility of life?

I entered this world not wanting to come. I'll leave it not wanting to go. All this while, when it seemed there were two doors, there was only one--this passing through.

Your sight will be lost. It is not too late. You are humble still, pure. Let go of this fascination with earthly riches. You have so much more than they.

Overhead, the Amerikano planes buzz by, great birds swooping down with a vengeance. But who is winning? I cannot imagine the Amerikanos will win. How can they? They have lost once before, and how will they resupply themselves when their country is so far away? The Japanese need only jump north and they will be home. How I wish they would both go home.

Colour is a matter of personal opinion.

You just say the opposite to what everyone else thinks. Is that why people think you're so clever?

Sometimes these days I almost think I can do without the present. The past is enough for me, it's enough for my life. Does that sound insane?

That's splendid. That will do. You got up this morning. You've made everyone understand that. You don't have to be amusing or make people laugh to be a good speaker. The important thing is that you said you hadn't anything to talk about & you did find something to say.

Some waddies take a little time to work it up and spit it out. Give it to 'em. Life ain't so short that you can't take