Recommended quotes
page 59

“The educated reader knows, as he reads me, that he is listening to a fugue in four voices.”

Albert Caraco (1919–1971) French-Uruguayan philosopher

Source: Journal of 1969, p. 134

“Our most terrifying fears and our innermost secret desires for extermination are reflected in this elegant and profound book, without any sort of leniency to attenuate the disgust and hopelessness we feel when faced with a humanity constantly atrophied by a series of values and practices that lead to chaos.”

Albert Caraco (1919–1971) French-Uruguayan philosopher

Albert Caraco, Rodrigo Santos Rivera. Breviario del caos Editorial Sexto Piso, 2006. Editorial text
Original: En este pequeño libro escrito con elegancia y profundidad vemos reflejados nuestros más terribles temores y nuestros más inconfesados deseos de exterminio, sin ningún tipo de lenitivo que pudiera atenuar el asco y la desesperanza frente a una humanidad cada vez más atrofiada por una serie de valores y prácticas que irremediablemente se dirigen al caos.

“French, German, English and Spanish are four admirable languages and I manage to express myself in all of them with more or less skill.”

Albert Caraco (1919–1971) French-Uruguayan philosopher

Source: Journal of 1969, p. 45

“I don't hide my profession of pessimism and I'm an avowed partisan of reaction.”

Albert Caraco (1919–1971) French-Uruguayan philosopher

Source: Journal of 1969, p. 104

Andrew Biersack photo
Naomi Shihab Nye photo

“It was terrible when a single conversation with someone determined your whole future relationship.”

Naomi Shihab Nye (1952) American writer

Source: There Is No Long Distance Now

Lauryn Hill photo

“We can't plan life. All we can do is be available for it.”

Lauryn Hill (1975) American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actress

Ray Charles photo
Neil Young photo

“Keep on rockin' in the free world.”

Neil Young (1945) Canadian singer-songwriter

“Most of us live betwixt quiet despair and furious nihilism.”

Albert Caraco (1919–1971) French-Uruguayan philosopher

Source: Ma confession (1975), p. 94

“I was born to myself between 1946 and 1948, I then opened my eyes on the world, until that moment I have been blind”

Albert Caraco (1919–1971) French-Uruguayan philosopher

Translation from: Albert Carao (1919-1917) http://illusioncity.net/albert-caraco/ at illusioncity.net by Snake June 17, 2012 <br class="br">Ma confession (1975)

Ovid photo

“Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish.”
Casus ubique valet; semper tibi pendeat hamus Quo minime credas gurgite, piscis erit.

Ovid book Heroides

Book III, line 425
Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love)
Source: Heroides
Context: Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish.

Marcus Tullius Cicero photo

“The distinguishing property of man is to search for and to follow after truth.”
In primisque hominis est propria veri inquisitio atque investigatio. Itaque cum sumus necessariis negotiis curisque vacui, tum avemus aliquid videre, audire, addiscere cognitionemque rerum aut occultarum aut admirabilium ad beate vivendum necessarian! ducimus. Ex quo intellegitur, quod verum, simplex sincerumque sit, id esse naturae hominis aptissimum. Huic veri videndi cupiditati adiuncta est appetitio quaedam principatus, ut nemini parere animus bene informatus a natura velit nisi praecipienti aut docenti aut utilitatis causa iuste et legitime imperanti; ex quo magnitudo animi existit humanarumque rerum contemptio.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (-106–-43 BC) Roman philosopher and statesman

Book I, section 13
Variant translation: Above all, the search after truth and its eager pursuit are peculiar to man. And so, when we have leisure from the demands of business cares, we are eager to see, to hear, to learn something new, and we esteem a desire to know.
De Officiis – On Duties (44 BC)
Context: The distinguishing property of man is to search for and to follow after truth. Therefore, when relaxed from our necessary cares and concerns, we then covet to see, to hear, and to learn somewhat; and we esteem knowledge of things either obscure or wonderful to be the indispensable means of living happily.* From this we understand that truth, simplicity, and candour, are most agreeable to the nature of mankind. To this passion for discovering truth, is added a desire to direct; for a mind, well formed by nature, is unwilling to obey any man but him who lays down rules and instructions to it, or who, for the general advantage, exercises equitable and lawful government. From this proceeds loftiness of mind, and contempt for worldly interests.

Marcus Annaeus Seneca photo

“It is wrong not to give a hand to the fallen; this law is universal to the whole human race.”
Iniquum est conlapsis manum non porrigere; commune hoc ius generis humani est.

Marcus Annaeus Seneca (-54–39 BC) Roman scholar

Book I, Chapter I; slightly modified translation from Norman T. Pratt Seneca's Drama (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1983) p. 140
Controversiae

Marcus Annaeus Seneca photo

“Let us live – we must die.”
Vivamus, moriendum est.

Marcus Annaeus Seneca (-54–39 BC) Roman scholar

Book II, Chapter VI; translation from Michael Winterbottom, Declamations of the Elder Seneca (London: Heinemann, 1974) vol. 1 p. 349
Some editions of Seneca prefer the reading Bibamus, moriendum est (Let us drink – we must die).
Controversiae

Marcus Tullius Cicero photo

“We must not say that every mistake is a foolish one.”
Non enim omnis error stultitia est dicenda.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (-106–-43 BC) Roman philosopher and statesman

Book II, Chapter LII, section 90
De Divinatione – On Divination (44 BC)

Ovid photo

“The cause is hidden. The effect is visible to all.”
Causa latet, vis est notissima

Ovid Metamorphoses

Variant translation: The cause is hidden; the effect is visible to all.
Book IV, 287
Metamorphoses (Transformations)
Variant: The cause is hidden, but the result is well known.