“We have less reason to be surprised or offended when we find others differ from us in opinions because we very often differ from ourselves.”
– Samuel Johnson, quoted in The Road to Character by David Brooks
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“It’s the process of making the art, the process of living itself, from which meaning, truth, and beauty are derived, not the product of that process. The product—whether it was a sandcastle, a painting, or an album—only offers an illusion of permanence. These too will eventually decompose and disappear, albeit on a different timeline. The art is always in the doing, not the memorializing.”
– Serj Tankian, Down with the System
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I’ll never get a tattoo.
I could not reconcile such public permanence with my feeling of constant change.
The things that are most meaningful, I like to keep close. I don’t wish for their uninhibited broadcast as I walk down the street or stretch out on the beach.
I am quite happy to be anonymous. I do not wish for my skin to pique someone’s attention.
I like to be in control of the disclosure of my innermost self.
I am not the canvas: I like projecting myself onto paper and screens. Then I have the freedom to delete or discard.
I prefer to make little piles of thoughts here, off to the side.
Very few people are interested in my opinion nor share my taste.
If you are, you know where to find me…
Conversations With Quotations 