1364

1401

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools.

Herbert Spencer

1361

Rock Fig

1366

Though no one wants to say it out loud, menopause is about loss; it’s about departure–each flash reminds me of my corporeality, my mortality. With every flash, my psyche is pushed to grasp what it does not want to let itself know: that it is not immortal. This is terrifying. It’s also a rare opportunity, if faced directly, to come to terms with the limitations of the self.

Darcey Steinke, Flash Count Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life

1350

The ability to empathize, to grasp accurately how another person feels and to feel compassionate in response, requires us to step outside ourselves momentarily to tune in to someone else. We turn down the noise of our own preoccupations and open ourselves to what the other person is expressing. We may or may not share the feelings being expressed, but we accept them without judgment or distortion.

Sandy Hotchkiss, Why Is It Always About You?

1352

1231

Unpleasant as it is to be rejected and misunderstood, the situation of a heretic also brought me major benefits… Suddenly all avenues were mine to explore, and no one could tell me what to think, or dictate what I was allowed to see and what problems I must on no account address. I relish this freedom of thought very much.

Alice Miller, The Body Never Lies: A Challenge

Something different #2

1337

Narcissistic entitlement has nothing to do with genuine self-esteem, which comes from real accomplishment and being true to one’s own ideals. Individuals who feel entitled to respect without giving it in return, or who expect rewards without effort, or a life free of discomfort, are forfeiting any power they might have to shape their own destiny. They assume an essentially passive role and count on outside forces to make them happy. When what they expect doesn’t happen, they feel impotent. By claiming entitlement, they demand to live in the fantasy world of the one-year-old child.

Sandy Hotchkiss, Why Is It Always About You?