Naoufal Temmar

“In a much quoted passage in his inaugural address, President Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country." It is a striking sign of the temper of our times that the controversy about this passage centered on its origin and not on its content. Neither half of the statement expresses a relation between the citizen and his government that is worthy of the ideals of free men in a free society. The paternalistic "what your country can do for you" implies that government is the patron, the citizen the ward, a view that is at odds with the free man's belief in his own responsibility for his own destiny. The organismic, "what you can do for your country" implies that government is the master or the deity, the citizen, the servant or the votary. To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them. He is proud of a common heritage and loyal to common traditions. But he regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favors and gifts, nor a master or god to be blindly worshiped and served. He recognizes no national goal except as it is the consensus of the goals that the citizens severally serve. He recognizes no national purpose except as it is the consensus of the purposes for which the citizens severally strive.”
― Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom

“احتقرتُ نفسي سبعَ مرَّات:

الأولى، عندما رأيتُها تتظاهرُ الوضاعة وهي تنشدُ الرِّفعة.

والثانية عندما رأيتها تترنَّح متجاوزة العَرْجى.

والثالثة عندما خُيِّرتْ بين السَّهل والشَّاق ففضَّلت السَّهل.

والرابعة عندما اقترفَتْ ذنباً وراحتْ تبرِّره باقتراف الآخرين ذنوباً مماثلة.

والخامسة عندما عجِزَتْ عن فعل شيء لضعفها وعزَتْ صبرَها إلى القوَّة.

والسادسة عندما احتقرتْ بشاعة وجهٍ تبيَّن أنه أحدُ براقعها.

والسابعة عندما غنَّتْ مديحاً واعتبرتْ غناءَها فضيلة.”
― جبران خليل جبران, رمل وزبد

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune