John Dunphy
https://www.goodreads.com/jpdunphy
“We take pleasure in ambition, in competition, in comparing, in acquiring knowledge or power, or position, prestige, status. And that pursuit of pleasure as ambition, competition, greed, envy, status, domination, power is respectable. It is made respectable by a society which has only one concept: that you shall lead a moral life, which is a respectable life. You can be ambitious, you can be greedy, you can be violent, you can be competitive, you can be a ruthless human being, but society accepts it, because, at the end of your ambition, you are either a so-called successful man with plenty of money, or a failure and therefore a frustrated human being. So social morality is immorality.”
― On Love and Loneliness: A Compelling Investigation of Intimate Relationships, Isolation, and Self-Knowledge
― On Love and Loneliness: A Compelling Investigation of Intimate Relationships, Isolation, and Self-Knowledge
“Ambitious men and women do not know what love is, and we are dominated by ambitious people. That is why there is no happiness in the world, and why it is very important that you, as you grow up, should see and understand all this, and find out for yourself if it is possible to discover what love is. You may have a good position, a very fine house, a marvellous garden, clothes; you may become the prime minister; but without love, none of these things has any meaning.”
― On Love and Loneliness: A Compelling Investigation of Intimate Relationships, Isolation, and Self-Knowledge
― On Love and Loneliness: A Compelling Investigation of Intimate Relationships, Isolation, and Self-Knowledge
“If someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at the person. It would be much better to turn your attention to the fact that there’s an arrow in your heart...”
― Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living
― Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living
“Even if we’re alone, our yawns and farts communicate.”
― When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
― When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
“The centipede was happy, quite, Until a toad in fun Said, “Pray, which leg goes after which?” This worked his mind to such a pitch, He lay distracted in a ditch, Considering how to run.”
― The Way of Zen
― The Way of Zen
John’s 2025 Year in Books
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