“What more consolation can there be! A God-believing Hindu may expect to be reborn a king; a Muslim or a Christian might dream of the luxuries he hopes to enjoy in paradise as a reward for his sufferings and sacrifices. What hope should I entertain? I know that will be the end when the rope is tightened round my neck and the rafters move from under my feet. To use more precise religious terminology, that will be the moment of utter annihilation. My soul will come to nothing. If I take the courage to take the matter in the light of ‘Reward’, I see that a short life of struggle with no such magnificent end shall itself be my ‘Reward.’ That is all.”
― Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
― Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
“Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending commitment.”
― Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
― Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
“What is it, fundamentally, that allows us to recognize who has turned out well? That a well-turned out person pleases our senses, that he is carved from wood that is hard, delicate, and at the same time smells good. He has a taste only for what is good for him; his pleasure, his delight cease where the measure of what is good for him is transgressed. He guesses what remedies avail against what is harmful; he exploits bad accidents to his advantage; what does not kill him makes him stronger. Instinctively, he collects from everything he sees, hears, lives through, his sum: he is a principle of selection, he discards much. He is always in his own company, whether he associates with books, human beings, or landscapes: he honors by choosing, by admitting, by trusting. He reacts slowly to all kinds of stimuli, with that slowness which long caution and deliberate pride have bred in him: he examines the stimulus that approaches him, he is far from meeting it halfway. He believes neither in 'misfortune' nor in 'guilt': he comes to terms with himself, with others: he knows how to forget — he is strong enough; hence everything must turn out for his best.”
― Ecco Homo
― Ecco Homo
“The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.”
― The Open Society and Its Enemies
― The Open Society and Its Enemies
“But man's duty is to try and endeavour, success depends upon chance and environments.”
― Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
― Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
Siddalinga’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Siddalinga’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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