Anhad Gill

“The pleasurable qualities associated with the previous ego phase, once that system is outgrown, become painful for the ego of the next phase.”
― Erich Neumann, The Origins and History of Consciousness

“And that is not all: even if man really were nothing but a piano-key, even if this were proved to him by natural science and mathematics, even then he would not become reasonable, but would purposely do something perverse out of simple ingratitude, simply to gain his point. And if he does not find means he will contrive destruction and chaos, will contrive sufferings of all sorts, only to gain his point! He will launch a curse upon the world, and as only man can curse (it is his privilege, the primary distinction between him and other animals), may be by his curse alone he will attain his object--that is, convince himself that he is a man and not a piano-key! If you say that all this, too, can be calculated and tabulated--chaos and darkness and curses, so that the mere possibility of calculating it all beforehand would stop it all, and reason would reassert itself, then man would purposely go mad in order to be rid of reason and gain his point!”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground

“Everyone at a high level has a huge amount of chess understanding, and much of what separates the great from the very good is deep presence, relaxation of the conscious mind, which allows the unconscious to flow unhindered.”
― Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

“One idea I taught was the importance of regaining presence and clarity of mind after making a serious error.”
― Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance