The shy man does have some slight revenge upon society for the torture it inflicts upon him. He is able, read more

The shy man does have some slight revenge upon society for the torture it inflicts upon him. He is able, to a certain extent, to communicate his misery. He frightens other people as much as they frighten him. He acts like a damper upon the whole room, and the most jovial spirits become, in his presence, depressed and nervous.

By concentrating our attention on the effect rather than the causes, we can avoid the laborious, nearly impossible task of read more

By concentrating our attention on the effect rather than the causes, we can avoid the laborious, nearly impossible task of trying to detect and deflect the many psychological influences on liking.

To be what no one ever was, To be what everyone has been: Freedom is the mean of those Extremes read more

To be what no one ever was, To be what everyone has been: Freedom is the mean of those Extremes that fence all effort in.

One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.

One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.

Man is so muddled, so dependent on the things immediately before his eyes, that every day even the most submissive read more

Man is so muddled, so dependent on the things immediately before his eyes, that every day even the most submissive believer can be seen to risk the torments of the afterlife for the smallest pleasure.

The question now is: Can we understand our stupidity? This is a test of intellect, not of character.

The question now is: Can we understand our stupidity? This is a test of intellect, not of character.

Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope read more

Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it "creative observation." Creative viewing.

There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps.

There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps.

There is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation, and for some men it is quite read more

There is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation, and for some men it is quite as difficult to record an observation in brief and plain language. - Aphorisms from His Bedside Teachings and Writings.