Grant Petersen

“I’m not denying the importance of achieving one’s goals, maintaining one’s health, or keeping one’s children clothed and fed—but most of us spend our time seeking happiness and security without acknowledging the underlying purpose of our search. Each of us is looking for a path back to the present: We are trying to find good enough reasons to be satisfied now.”
― Sam Harris, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

“A puppet is free as long as he loves his strings.”
― Sam Harris, Free Will

“Some people are content in the midst of deprivation and danger, while others are miserable despite having all the luck in the world. This is not to say that external circumstances do not matter. But it is your mind, rather than circumstances themselves, that determines the quality of your life. Your mind is the basis of everything you experience and of every contribution you make to the lives of others. Given this fact, it makes sense to train it.”
― Sam Harris, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

“On one level, wisdom is nothing more profound than an ability to follow one’s own advice.”
― Sam Harris, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion