“I suppose the thing I’d most liked to have known or been reassured about, is that in the world what counts more than talent, what counts more than energy or concentration or commitment or anything else, is kindness. And the more in the world you encounter kindness, or cheerfulness (which is kind of its amiable uncle or aunt), the better the world always is. And all the big words- Virtue, justice, truth- are dwarfed by the greatness of kindness.” — [x]
“I think in the same way that you turn in on yourself, it’s very negative and sort of… destructive to finding opportunity, simply staying in the same place and knowing what you know all the time. I once wanted to open a restaurant where you always get the dish that the person next to you have ordered, because that’s always the one that you wish you had. And I always thought this thing like Netflix, that they should send you a DVD the exact opposite of the kind that you like. That’s the way you learn! So if Amazon says “I see you liked this novel by this novelist - why not try this?” And you say, “Yeah, but that’s completely—!” Yes, that is the point! It is completely different! It’s not your usual thing. You know how we always buy— you know how your partner always says, “Why are you buying that shirt, you’ve got one that exactly like it”? You say, “It’s not exactly like it, it has a slightly different color.” We’re like that in life, we tend to settle so quickly. And the best way to stop that is to keep reinventing oneself.” — What I Wish I’d Known When I Was 18
“And everyone has in them to express themselves that fundamental thing that they know they are inside. That rather beautiful afraid person, which might get translated into aggression or silence or shines or all kinds of other things, but inside we know we are huggable, lovable, we want to love and be loved. That person is yearning for fulfillment to be the person they know they can be. And that’s a constant journey, a process. It’s not about acquiring this thing, and then that thing, getting to this place, learning this technique, finding out how this works.” — What I Wish I’d Known When I Was 18
“If you’re interested in other people, if you use your eyes to look out, not to be looked into, then you connect, then you’re interesting, then people want to be around you. And it’s about the warmth and the charm that you can radiate that is real, because of your positive interest in others.” — What I Wish I’d Known When I Was 18
“I happen to love - and I know a lot of people don’t - but I happen to love the works of William Shakespeare, the poet and playwright. I think that they are amongst the greatest things that humanity has ever done. Up there with the Pyramids, or whatever it is that you want to choose. But the number of times you hear people say, “Oh, it was ruined for me at school.” And I— I tend to say to them, “Yeah, I don’t really like the Grand Canyon, or the Lake District, or the mountains of Scotland, because I had a really bad geography teacher, so I don’t find them very beautiful”.” — What I Wish I’d Known When I Was 18
“And I would say this - and many people would scream in disbelief - I would say that the worst thing you can ever do in life is set yourself goals. I think goal orientation is absolutely disastrous in life. Two things happen: One is, you don’t meet your goals, so you call yourself a failure. Secondly, you meet your goal, and go, “Well, I’m here - now what? I’m not happy. I’ve got this car, this job, I’m living in this address, which is the place I always thought I wanted to be, and… what?” Because you’re going for something outside yourself, and that’s no good.” — What I Wish I’d Known When I Was 18
“I suppose the thing I’d most would like to have known or be reassured about is that in the world, what counts more than talent, what counts more than energy or concentration or commitment or anything else, is kindness. And the more in the world you encounter kindness and cheerfulness (which is its kind of amiable uncle or aunt) just the better the world always is. All the big words: virtue, justice, truth, are dwarfed by the greatness of kindness.” —
