Mahmud Naeem > Mahmud's Quotes

“Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
― Albert Einstein

“So many books, so little time.”
― Frank Zappa

“যে জিনিস যত দুষ্প্রাপ্য মানুষের মনের কাছে তাহার মূল্য অনেক বেশি। এ কথা খুবই সত্য যে, এই মূল্য মানুষের মনগড়া একটি কৃত্রিম মূল্য, প্রার্থিত জিনিসের সত্যকার উৎকর্ষ বা অপকর্ষের সঙ্গে এর কোন সম্বন্ধ নাই। কিন্তু জগতের অধিকাংশ জিনিসের উপরই একটি কৃত্রিম মূল্য আরোপ করিয়াই তো আমরা তাকে বড় বা ছোট করি।”
― Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, আরণ্যক

“মানুষ কি চায় — উন্নতি, না আনন্দ? উন্নতি করিয়া কি হইবে যদি তাহাতে আনন্দ না থাকে? আমি এমন কত লোকের কথা জানি, যাহারা জীবনে উন্নতি করিয়াছে বটে, কিন্তু আনন্দকে হারাইয়াছে। অতিরিক্ত ভোগে মনোবৃত্তির ধার ক্ষইয়া ভোঁতা — এখন আর কিছুতেই তেমন আনন্দ পায় না, জীবন তাহাদের নিকট একঘেয়ে, একরঙা, অর্থহীন। মন শান-বাঁধানো — রস ঢুকিতে পায় না।”
― Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, আরণ্যক

“একশত বৎসর একসঙ্গে থাকিলেও কেহ হয়তো আমার হৃদয়ের বাহিরে থাকিয়া যায়, যদি না কোনো বিশেষ ঘটনায় সে আমার হৃদয়ের কবাট খুলিতে পারে।”
― Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Aparajito, Yang tak Terkalahkan

“এই জনহীন প্রান্তর, এই রহস্যময়ী রাত্রি, অচেনা নক্ষত্রে ভরা আকাশ, এই বিপদের আশঙ্কা - এইতো জীবন। শান্ত নিরাপদ জীবন নিরীহ কেরানীর জীবন হতে পারে - তার নয় -”
― Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

“অন্ধকার শশ্বানে ভীরু ভয় পায়
সাধক সেখানে সিদ্ধি লাভ করে”
― Sunil Gangopadhyay

“কৃতজ্ঞতা একটা বিষম বোঝা। অনেকেই সারাজীবন এ বোঝা বহনে অক্ষম। তাই এই বোঝা ঝেড়ে ফেলে উপকারী ব্যক্তির শত্রুতা করে তারা স্বস্তি বোধ করে।”
― Sunil Gangopadhyay, Those Days | Sei Somoy

“Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember – if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.
Disappointment’ s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life – friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.”
― Chetan Bhagat

“Pretty girls behave best when you ignore them. Of course, they have to know you are ignoring them, for otherwise they may not even know you exist.”
― Chetan Bhagat, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage

“Don't be serious, be sincere.”
― Chetan Bhagat, Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, Ambition

“From biscuit to brides, if there is anything their children really want, parents have a problem.”
― Chetan Bhagat, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage

“I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die”
― Chetan Bhagat

“A wise man can be a fool in love.”
― Chetan Bhagat

“The world’s most sensible person and the biggest idiot both stay within you. The worst part is you can’t even tell who is who.”
― Chetan Bhagat, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage

“When we choose a mobile network, do we check whether Airtel or Vodafone belong to a particular caste? No, we simply choose the provider based on the best value or service. Then why do we vote for somebody simply because he belongs to the same caste as us?”
― Chetan Bhagat, What Young India Wants

“Forgiving doesn't make the person who hurt you feel better, it makes you feel better.”
― Chetan Bhagat, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage

“Societies that value excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship and integrity do well.”
― Chetan Bhagat, What Young India Wants

“Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”
― George Orwell

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
― George Orwell

“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ”
― George Orwell

“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“What you seek is seeking you.”
― Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
― Rumi

“When I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you're not here, I can't go to sleep.
Praise God for those two insomnias!
And the difference between them.”
― Rumi

“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”
― Rumi, Masnavi i Man'avi, the spiritual couplets of Maula

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi