“Luckily for us, now that steam has narrowed the Atlantic to a strait, the nervous, rocky West is intruding a new and continental element into the national mind, as we shall yet have an American genius.”
Optimistic feeling
Optimistic Quotes — page 174 of 204
“Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of our science, and such is the mechanical determination of our age, and so recent are our best contrivances, that use has not dulled our joy and pride in them. These arts open great gates of a future, promising to make the world plastic and to lift human life out of its beggary to a godlike ease and power.”
“If we must accept fate we are not less compelled to affirm liberty, the significance of the individual, the grandeur of duty, the power of character.”
“As long as we can keep our international relations in the realm of conference rather than open conflict, we are giving truth more time to vindicate itself. And what we ourselves need is more faith in the power of truth.”
“In being realistic we do not always have to be pessimistic. Christ never blinked his eyes at bad things. But he never became so obsessed with human evil that he lost faith in man.”
“If I see one dilemma with Western man, it's that he can't accept how beautiful he is. He can't accept that he is pure light, that he's pure love, that he's pure consciousness, that he's divine.”
“It's an Obama book, certainly. I was delighted, and astonished, to hear recently that he was reading it. It's a book about a new kind of American reality, one that takes diversity for granted. It doesn't celebrate diversity, actually, it just says: this is how we live now.”
“The good news about psychedelics is that they are incredibly democratic. Even the clueless can be swept along if the dose is sufficient.”
“I try to look at things in a positive way. If someone says something negative to me, I'll just turn it around into a positive.”
“There are occasions on which it is noble to dare to stand alone. To be pious among infidels, to be disinterested in a time of general venality, to lead a life of virtue and reason in the midst of sensualists, is a proof of a mind intent on nobler things than the praise or blame of men, of a soul fixed in the contemplation of the highest good, and superiour to the tyranny of custom and example.”
“We need to realize that we have a role to play in overcoming our own discrimination which is sometimes very subtly held.”
“During the Great Depression African Americans understood that Republicans championed citizenship and voting rights, but they became impatient for economic emancipation.”
“Obviously, we were fortunate to win the hockey game, and we'll take it, because there have been some games that we haven't been fortunate enough in. I don't think we played exceptionally well from any standpoint, other than our first period. And our goaltender really stole the game for us. In all reality, you have to give him credit for the win. He stole the points.”
“If the Republican Party shifts to the right, how will we know?”
“You can't make people happy by law. If you said to a bunch of average people two hundred years ago "Would you be happy in a world where medical care is widely available, houses are clean, the world's music and sights and foods can be brought into your home at small cost, traveling even 100 miles is easy, childbirth is generally not fatal to mother or child, you don't have to die of dental abscesses and you don't have to do what the squire tells you" they'd think you were talking about the New Jerusalem and say "yes."”
“You’d better tell me what you know, toad,” said Tiffany. “Miss Tick isn’t here. I am.” “Another world is colliding with this one,” said the toad. “There. Happy now? That’s what Miss Tick thinks. But it’s happening faster than she expected. All the monsters are coming back.” “Why?” “There’s no one to stop them.” There was silence for a moment. “There’s me,” said Tiffany.”
“Men read science fiction to build the future. Women don't need to read it. They are the future.”
“There are two races of people -- men and women -- no matter what women's libbers would have you pretend. The male is motivated by toys and science because men are born with no purpose in the universe except to procreate. There is lots of time to kill beyond that. They've got to find work. Men have no inherent center to themselves beyond procreating. Women, however, are born with a center. They can create the universe, mother it, teach it, nurture it. Men read science fiction to build the future. Women don't need to read it. They are the future.”
“The stars are yours, if you have the head, the hands, and the heart for them.”
“The Internet has definitely opened doors and leveled the playing field for musicians.”