People are strange
“I actually attack the concept of happiness. The idea that - I don’t mind people being happy - but the idea that everything we do is part of the pursuit of happiness seems to me a really dangerous idea and has led to a contemporary disease in Western society, which is fear of sadness. It’s a really odd thing that we’re now seeing people saying “write down 3 things that made you happy today before you go to sleep”, and “cheer up” and “happiness is our birthright” and so on. We’re kind of teaching our kids that happiness is the default position - it’s rubbish. Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are. Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that also happen to us, but they don’t teach us much. Everyone says we grow through pain and then as soon as they experience pain they say “Quick! Move on! Cheer up!” I’d like just for a year to have a moratorium on the word “happiness” and to replace it with the word “wholeness”. Ask yourself “is this contributing to my wholeness?” and if you’re having a bad day, it is.”
—Hugh Mackay (via aeloquence)
March 2012
February 2012
“Because it’s a story that reminds us of the worst part of humanity. We’re living in a world obsessed with reality television and our shock factor is constantly desensitized. It takes more and more to surprise us and interest us, and we feed off of other people’s trauma.”
—Jennifer Lawrence on The Hunger Games (via sharetheturnips)
“She was reflecting back on a truth she had learned over the years: that people heard what they wanted to hear, saw what they wanted, believed what they wanted.”
—Jeffery Deaver (via amandaonwriting)
“Above all do not give yourself airs. Breaking the moment of past habits is the challenge here: In the life of the spirit you are always at the beginning.”
—Jeff Buckley (via jeffbuckleyforever)
“No, I don’t think you’re gonna be single forever, and also I don’t understand your obsession with romantic love. There are other ways to have fulfilling relationships that can sustain you and make your life great and fun, other than having a sexualized relationship. It’s not the only kind of fulfilling human interaction. So, even if you are single forever that doesn’t mean that you’ve had some kind of failed life.”
—John Green (x)
