Hans De Keulenaer
https://www.goodreads.com/hdkeulenaer
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"The obligatory China or Japan chapter. Is Japan unique in its uniqueness? Or is its obsession with Japeneseness unique? Lots of questions, limited answers in this chapter that blows a bit hot and cold. Also wished for a little less namedropping." — Mar 09, 2026 08:38PM
"The obligatory China or Japan chapter. Is Japan unique in its uniqueness? Or is its obsession with Japeneseness unique? Lots of questions, limited answers in this chapter that blows a bit hot and cold. Also wished for a little less namedropping." — Mar 09, 2026 08:38PM
“Why does everybody believe in the law of gravity then?” “Mass hypnosis. In a very orthodox form known as ‘education.’”
“Legislators and revolutionaries who promise equality and liberty at the same time, are either psychopaths or mountebanks.”
― Maxims and Reflections
― Maxims and Reflections
“I have known true alchemists,” the alchemist continued. “They locked themselves in their laboratories, and tried to evolve, as gold had. And they found the Philosopher’s Stone, because they understood that when something evolves, everything around that thing evolves as well. “Others stumbled upon the stone by accident. They already had the gift, and their souls were readier for such things than the souls of others. But they don’t count. They’re quite rare. “And then there were the others, who were interested only in gold. They never found the secret. They forgot that lead, copper, and iron have their own Personal Legends to fulfill. And anyone who interferes with the Personal Legend of another thing never will discover his own.”
― The Alchemist
― The Alchemist
“National hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture.”
―
―
“You are wise, because you observe everything from a distance,” the boy said. “But you don’t know about love. If there hadn’t been a sixth day, man would not exist; copper would always be just copper, and lead just lead. It’s true that everything has its Personal Legend, but one day that Personal Legend will be realized. So each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new Personal Legend, until, someday, the Soul of the World becomes one thing only.” The sun thought about that, and decided to shine more brightly. The wind, which was enjoying the conversation, started to blow with greater force, so that the sun would not blind the boy. “This is why alchemy exists,” the boy said. “So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life. Lead will play its role until the world has no further need for lead; and then lead will have to turn itself into gold. “That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” “Well, why did you say that I don’t know about love?” the sun asked the boy. “Because it’s not love to be static like the desert, nor is it love to roam the world like the wind. And it’s not love to see everything from a distance, like you do. Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World. When I first reached through to it, I thought the Soul of the World was perfect. But later, I could see that it was like other aspects of creation, and had its own passions and wars. It is we who nourish the Soul of the World, and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that’s where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are.”
― The Alchemist
― The Alchemist
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