The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Even when weapons of war are not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of expending labour power without producing anything that can be consumed.
– from 1984 book by George Orwell
I tell you, this life doesn’t …
I tell you, this life doesn’t simply come with its share of unpredictability; surprise is its most conspicuous feature.
– from Just as I Am book by Cicely Tyson
Whenever I come to a new …
Whenever I come to a new town, I like to get my bearings. I want to understand the layout of the streets and the layout of the people. In some cities this can take you days to accomplish. In Boston, it can take you weeks. In New York, years.
– from The Lincoln Highway book by Amor Towles
In any human interaction, the required …
In any human interaction, the required amount of communication is inversely proportional to the level of trust.
– from The Hard Thing About Hard Things book by Ben Horowitz
As far as I can tell …
As far as I can tell, there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning, year after year. One is fear. The other is desire.
– from A Discovery of Witches book by Deborah Harkness
When in bed, meditate. Either you …
When in bed, meditate. Either you will have a deep meditation or fall asleep. Victory either way.
– from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant book by Eric Jorgenson
Life was opportunity, a chest of …
Life was opportunity, a chest of drawers to open, one after the other.
– from Hello Beautiful book by Ann Napolitano
Well, let’s take it one day …
Well, let’s take it one day at a time, shall we? I enjoyed yesterday, I’m having fun today, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
– from The Man Who Died Twice book by Richard Osman
Our teenage years have to simultaneously …
Our teenage years have to simultaneously be the brightest light and the darkest depths, because that’s how we learn to figure out our horizons.
– from My Friends book by Fredrik Backman
War is like an avalanche. Once …
War is like an avalanche. Once begun, it cannot cease until it has wreaked all the destruction it is capable of.
– from The Palace of Illusions book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni