Quote of the Day

“Everybody wants a story, because stories that begin and end can have a point, and with enough points, we can build some meaning, and maybe inject a purpose into life.” — Peter Welch, And Then I Thought I Was a Fish

Quote of the Day

“Other animals do not need a purpose in life. A contradiction to itself, the human animal cannot do without one.” — John Gray, Straw Dogs

Quote of the Day

“No purpose is served by making private suffering into a public event.” — Charles Sheffield, Summertide

Quote of the Day

“If you ask, ‘What happens when we die? Why do we die?’ you are asking, ‘Why do we live?’” — Nadine Gordimer, The Art of Fiction No. 77, The Paris Review (Summer 1983)

Quote of the Day

“Even if life as a whole is meaningless, perhaps that’s nothing to worry about. Perhaps we can recognise it and just go on as before.” — Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean?

Quote of the Day

“It does not matter now that in a million years nothing we do now will matter.” — Thomas Nagel, The Absurd, The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 68, No. 20 (1971-10-21)

Quote of the Day

“Droll thing life is — that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic for a futile purpose.” — Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Quote of the Day

“What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for.” — Adlai E. Stevenson, Welcoming address before the Democratic national convention, Chicago, Illinois (21 July 1952)

Quote of the Day

“The discovery that the universe has no purpose need not prevent a human being from having one.” — Irwin Edman, The Contemporary and His Soul

Moving Forward

“’Cheshire Puss,’ she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. ‘Come, it’s pleased so far,’ thought Alice, and she went on. ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘—so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’” — Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

This quote is used often used to underline the importance of having a goal. I think the Cheshire Cat’s second lesson, if you walk long enough you will get somewhere eventually, is overlooked.

You go nowhere standing still. Even if the destination is unknown, it is important to start walking. Pick a direction and go.

I’ve picked straight ahead, that way I’m sure to move forward. I will get to my destination, either because I have walked long enough or because along the way I decide on a direction. Tomorrow’s answer to the question ‘where am I’ will be different than today’s answer!