“It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what."
[I saw hate in a graveyard -- Stephen Fry, The Guardian, 5 June 2005]”
―
[I saw hate in a graveyard -- Stephen Fry, The Guardian, 5 June 2005]”
―
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
― Jane Eyre
― Jane Eyre
“If you're reading this...
Congratulations, you're alive.
If that's not something to smile about,
then I don't know what is.”
― Monsters Under Your Head
Congratulations, you're alive.
If that's not something to smile about,
then I don't know what is.”
― Monsters Under Your Head
“The difference between faith and insanity is that faith is the ability to hold firmly to a conclusion that is incompatible with the evidence, whereas insanity is the ability to hold firmly to a conclusion that is incompatible with the evidence.”
― Dictionary of Contemporary Mythology
― Dictionary of Contemporary Mythology
“When you hold a grudge, you want someone else’s sorrow to reflect your level of hurt but the two rarely meet.”
― Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
― Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
Ben Smith’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Ben Smith’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Ben Smith
Lists liked by Ben Smith







