“And this is the strangest of all paradoxes of the human adventure; we live inside all experience, but we are permitted to bear witness only to the outside. Such is the riddle of life and the story of the passing of our days.”
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Howard Thurman20
American writer 1899–1981Related quotes
Michael Moorcock book The Runestaff
Source: Book 2, Chapter 1 “Whispering in Secret Rooms” (pp. 428-429), The Runestaff (1969)
“Quantum fiction is any story that witnesses life and the human experience on a subatomic level.”
Vanna Bonta (1958–2014) Italian-American writer, poet, inventor, actress, voice artist (1958-2014)
Vanna Bonta Talks About Quantum fiction: Author Interview (2007)
Mary McCarthy (1912–1989) American writer
"Characters in Fiction", p. 291
Sometimes misquoted as "We all live in suspense from day to day; in other words, you are the hero of your own story."
On the Contrary: Articles of Belief 1946–1961 (1961)
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”
Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor
Annie Besant (1847–1933) British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator
Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter XIV
Javier Marías book Tu rostro mañana
Tendemos a desconfiar increíblemente de nuestras percepciones cuando ya son pasado y no se ven confirmadas ni ratificadas desde fuera por nadie, renegamos de nuestra memoria a veces y acabamos por contarnos inexactas versiones de lo que presenciamos, no nos fiamos como testigos ni de nosotros mismos.
Source: Tu rostro mañana, 1. Fiebre y lanza [Your Face Tomorrow, Vol. 1: Fever and Spear] (2002), p. 140
“We all need stories. What happens in our daily lives changes our stories.”
Wong Kar-wai (1958) Hong Kong screenwriter, film producer and film director
"Decade: Wong Kar-wai on “In The Mood For Love” " in Indie Wire (2 February 2001) https://www.indiewire.com/2009/12/decade-wong-kar-wai-on-in-the-mood-for-love-55668/
Richard McKenna book The Sand Pebbles
Source: The Sand Pebbles (1962), Ch. 5; speech of Lt. Collins
Context: Civilians are only morally bound to salute our flag. We are legally bound. All Americans are morally bound to die for our flag, if called upon. Only we are legally bound. Only we live our lives in a day to day readiness for that sacrifice. We have sworn our oaths and cut our ties. We have given up wealth and home life, except as San Pablo is our home. It marks us. It sets us apart. We are uncomfortable reminders, in time of peace. Those of you who served in the last war know what I mean.