Martina Bertić

“I običan čovjek u afektu može odlutati u zlo. Kao dijete koje u histeriji igre u gomili baci kamen, razbije nečiji prozor ili glavu. Obično dijete će nakon toga zaplakati, tražiti oprost, balavo će i uplakano ponavljati kako nije htjelo. Dijete za koje više nema nade oholo će se uspraviti, isprsiti. Ono je već naučilo iz tuđe boli crpiti moć, tuđu bol njušiti kao hijena krv.”
― Ivana Šojat-Kuči

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
― Mark Twain

“Žene klimaju glavom, svaka ima nekoliko djece. Jedan dječak ih sluša i kaže: - Kad budem velik, ja ću ubijati Srbe ovako - podiže ruke i cilja kao da puca na nekoga ih velike blizine. Odrasli šute. S. zna da je dječak vidio kako su mu vojnici ubili starijeg brata, baš tako. Toj maloj ruci nedostaje samo oružje, sve je drugo već tu. Svejedno je u koju će zemlju otputovati, ovaj će dječak jednog dana izvršiti svoju namjeru. S. izlazi iz sobe i diše, zrak je oštar poput noža. Jedna je generacija iz te sobe već završila svoj život i svela ga na uspomene. Druga će rasti sa željom da se osveti. Kao da su oni već živi mrtvaci, misli S. Iznenada u ustima osjeća gorčinu.”
― Slavenka Drakulić, S.

“His habit of reading isolated him: it became such a need that after being in company for some time he grew tired and restless; he was vain of the wider knowledge he had acquired from the perusal of so many books, his mind was alert, and he had not the skill to hide his contempt for his companions' stupidity. They complained that he was conceited; and, since he excelled only in matters which to them were unimportant, they asked satirically what he had to be conceited about. He was developing a sense of humour, and found that he had a knack of saying bitter things, which caught people on the raw; he said them because they amused him, hardly realising how much they hurt, and was much offended when he found that his victims regarded him with active dislike. The humiliations he suffered when he first went to school had caused in him a shrinking from his fellows which he could never entirely overcome; he remained shy and silent. But though he did everything to alienate the sympathy of other boys he longed with all his heart for the popularity which to some was so easily accorded. These from his distance he admired extravagantly; and though he was inclined to be more sarcastic with them than with others, though he made little jokes at their expense, he would have given anything to change places with them.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage