“You must see with eyes unclouded by hate. See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good. Pledge yourself to neither side, but vow instead to preserve the balance that exists between the two.”
―
―
“Everything in any way beautiful has its beauty of itself, inherent and self-sufficient: praise is no part of it. At any rate, praise does not make anything better or worse. This applies even to the popular conception of beauty, as in material things or works of art. So does the truly beautiful need anything beyond itself? No more than law, no more than truth, no more than kindness or integrity. Which of these things derives its beauty from praise, or withers under criticism? Does an emerald lose its quality if it is not praised? And what of gold, ivory, purple, a lyre, a dagger, a flower, a bush?”
― Meditations
― Meditations
“you must be ready to burn yourself in your own flame;
how could you rise anew if you have not first become ashes?”
― Thus Spoke Zarathustra
how could you rise anew if you have not first become ashes?”
― Thus Spoke Zarathustra
“Oh, I thought you were trying to build a canal. If it's jobs you want, then you should give these workers spoons, not shovels. [Reply to the government bureaucrat of one Asian country who told him that, reason why there were workers with shovels instead of modern tractors and earth movers at a worksite of a new canal, was that: "You don't understand. This is a jobs program."]”
―
―
Trung’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Trung’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Trung
Lists liked by Trung






















