Adaptive Chaos

“When she came to write her story, she would wonder when the books and the words started to mean not just something, but everything.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“Try it again," I said. "Kiss me."
"No," he said.
"Kiss me."
"No," And then he smiled. "You kiss me."
I placed my hand on the back of his neck. I pulled him toward me. And kissed him. I kissed him. And I kissed him. And I kissed him. And I kissed him. And he kept kissing me back.”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

“He who hears butterflies laugh knows what clouds taste of
He will discover the night in the moonlight, unhindered by fear.
He will become the plant, if he wishes, the animal, the fool, the sage
He will travel the universe within one hour.
He knows that he knows nothing, like all the others, too.
Only he knows, what he and all the others will have to learn
He who feels strange shores within himself and dares to rise
will slowly, unhindered by fear, discover himself
He looks up to his own summits
And calmly takes up the fight with his own underworld
He who’s at peace with himself will also die in peace
and will be more alive in death than all his heirs.”
― Novalis

“The imagination places the world of the future either far above us, or far below, or in a relation of metempsychosis to ourselves. We dream of traveling through the universe—but is not the universe within ourselves? The depths of our spirit are unknown to us—the mysterious way leads inwards. Eternity with its worlds—the past and future—is in ourselves or nowhere. The external world is the world of shadows—it throws its shadow into the realm of light. At present this realm certainly seems to us so dark inside, lonely, shapeless. But how entirely different it will seem to us—when this gloom is past, and the body of shadows has moved away. We will experience greater enjoyment than ever, for our spirit has been deprived.”
― Novalis, Philosophical Writings