Mr Shahabi

“Anything approaching the change that came over his features i have never seen before and hope to never see again. Oh, I wasn't touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror, of intense and hopeless despair. Did he live his life again in every detail of desire, temptation, and surrender during that Supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision, he cried twice, a cry that was no more than a breath.. "The Horror! The Horror!”
― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

“كيف يمكننا إطلاقا أن نقول أمرا عن الشيء من دون أن نكون مطلعين بشكل كاف على نوع الحقيقة التي تخصه؟ يمكن حالا أن نرد على ذالك بسؤال: كيف يمكننا أن نعرف أمرا ما عن الحقيقة الحقة حول الشيء إذا لم نعرف الشيء ذاته، حتى نحسم في شأن الحقيقة التي يمكن و يجب أن تخصه؟”
― Martin Heidegger, السؤال عن الشيء: حول نظرية المبادئ الترنسندنتالية عند كنت

“as Machiavelli said, it is better to be feared than loved. Fear you can control; love, never.”
― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

“All warfare is based on deception.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War