“Most people are convinced that as long as they are not overtly forced to do something by an outside power, their decisions are theirs, and that if they want something, it is they who want it. But this is one of the great illusions we have about ourselves. A great number of our decisions are not really our own but are suggested to us from the outside; we have succeeded in persuading ourselves that it is we who have made the decision, whereas we have actually conformed with expectations of others, driven by the fear of isolation and by more direct threats to our life, freedom, and comfort.”
― Escape from Freedom
― Escape from Freedom
“It is important to realize that if certain areas of science appear to be quite mature, others are in the process of development, and yet others remain to be born.”
― Advice for a Young Investigator
― Advice for a Young Investigator
“No one is going to come help you. No one's coming to save you.”
― Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
― Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
“If you lack confidence in setting one word after another and sense that you are stuck in a place from which you will never be set free, if you feel sure that you will never make it and were not cut out to do this, if your prose seems stillborn and you completely lack confidence, you must be a writer.”
―
―
Billy’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Billy’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Billy
Lists liked by Billy














