Quotes from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“But then every man is ludicrous if you look at him from outside, without taking into account what’s going on in his heart and mind.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“Pleasure cannot be shared; like Pain, it can only be experienced or inflicted, and when we give Pleasure to our Lovers or bestow Charity upon the Needy, we do so, not to gratify the object of our Benevolence, but only ourselves. For the Truth is that we are kind for the same reason as we are cruel, in order that we may enhance the sense of our own Power....”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“A funny little literary article in the hand is worth at least three Critiques of Pure Reason in the bush.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“If you're always scared of dying," Obispo had said, "you'll surely die. Fear's a poison; and not such a slow poison either.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“This day fifty years ago I was born. From solitude in the Womb, we emerge into solitude among our Fellows, and return again to solitude within the Grave. We pass our lives in the attempt to mitigate that solitude. But propinquity is never fusion. We exchange Words, but exchange them from prison to prison, and without hope that they will signify to others what they mean to ourselves. We marry and there are two solitudes in the house instead of one; we beget children, and there are many solitudes. We reiterate the act of love; but again propinquity is never fusion. The most intimate contact is only of Surfaces, and we couple, as I have seen the condemned Prisoners at Newgate coupling with their Trulls, between the bars of our cages. Pleasure cannot be shared; like Pain, it can only be experienced or inflicted, and when we give pleasure to our lover or bestow Charity upon the Needy, we do so, not to gratify the object of our Benevolence, but only ourselves. For the Truth is that we are kind for the same reason as we are cruel, in order that we may enhance the sense of our own Power; and this we are for ever trying to do, despite the fact that by doing it we cause ourselves to feel more solitary than ever. The reality of Solitude is the same in all men, there being no mitigation of it, except in Forgetfulness, Stupidity or Illusion; but a man's sense of Solitude is proportionate to the sense and fact of his Power. In anz set of circumstances, the more Power we have, the more intensely do we feel our solitude. I have enjoyed much Power in my life.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“Power and wealth increase in direct proportion to a man's distance from the material objects from which wealth and power are ultimately derived.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“Cea mai gravă infracțiune a lui fusese să accepte lumea în care trăia ca pe una normală, rațională și corectă. Ca toți ceilalți, permisese publicității să îi multiplice dorințele; învățase să echivaleze fericirea cu posesiunile, iar prosperitatea cu banii cheltuiți la magazin.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“To most people any radical change is even more odious than cynicism. The only way between the horns of dilemma is to persist at all costs in the ignorance which permits one to go on doing wrong in the comforting belief that yb doing so one is accomplishing one's duty / one's duty to the company, to the shareholders, to the family, the city, the state, the fatherland, the church. For, of course, poor Hansen's case wasn't in any way unique; on a smaller scale, and therefore with less power to do evil, he was acting like all those civil servants and statesmen and prelates who go through life spreading misery and destruction in the name of their ideals and under orders from their categorical imperatives.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“We float in language like icebergs – four-fifths under the surface and only one-fifth of us projecting into the open air of immediate, non-linguistic experience.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“أنا رئيس شركة بترول هنا. لديّ ألفا محطة بنزين في كاليفورنيا وحدها،وكل العاملين بها خريجو جامعات!”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“The frightfulness of the world had reached a point at which it had become for him merely boring.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

“nationalism will always produce at least one war each generation. It has done in the past, and I suppose we can rely on it to do the same in the future.”
― Aldous Huxley, quote from After Many a Summer Dies the Swan

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Popular quotes

“Most people are perpetually locked in the present. Their decisions are overly influenced by the most immediate event; they easily become emotional and ascribe greater significance to a problem than it should have in reality.”
― Robert Greene, quote from Mastery

“Accepting things. That’s what the talk was about. About how insane it is to try to pretend something isn’t a certain way, or that you can make it another way, just because you don’t like it. And how that seems to be the one thing that makes addicts use drugs, and pretty much ruins everybody’s lives. This thing about refusing to just accept the way things are when you can’t change them anyway.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, quote from Don't Let Me Go

“I saw Four, Brandon’s Garde, poking his head out from behind Brandon’s back. He shyly put his hand out for Nine to take, inviting him to walk to pre-combat together. Seeing this, I hoped Nine would take Four’s hand. It was a sweet gesture.”
― Pittacus Lore, quote from The Last Days of Lorien

“he first time I ever laid eyes on you, you were jogging with your friend, Hilary,” he murmured. I lowered my gaze back to the tiny shoe and smiled.

“The first time I ever had the pleasure of hearing your voice,” he titled his head in thought, “you ended up tripping and needed bandaged.”

His finger brushed over the tiny silver Band-Aid. Tears began pooling in my eyes. His gift was unlike anything I ever expected. I wasn’t sure what to think or even feel in that moment.

“The first time I knew you were more than a pretty face,” he smiled, his thumb caressing my cheek for the briefest moment, “you brought Oliver and me muffins.” His voice cracked and I bit my bottom lip as he touched upon the tiny muffin.

The burn of a stray tear as it slipped down my cheek pulled my gaze to my lap. Quickly, I wiped it away.

Next, he held up the miniature swimming pool in his hand and I laughed, looking up at him.

“This one speaks for itself, sweetheart.” His smile widened into a broad grin. “It was a night I’ll never forget…and one I wouldn’t mind experiencing again next summer.”

My head shot down, heat creeping up my cheeks. I shook my head, chuckling.

“This,” he held up a music note, “is for the first time we danced.” He lowered the bracelet and looked me in the eyes. “I wanted you that night, Cassandra. More than I’ve ever wanted any woman. But I’m thankful every day that you wouldn’t let me have my way.” He sighed. “We wouldn’t be here today if I had slept with you then.”

He looked back down, frowning. “I can’t image you not being here today.”

My heart swelled helping me find my voice.

“The pumpkin patch,” I said, running my fingers over the shiny jack-o-lantern.

“Yes, the first day I realized I wanted nothing more than to protect you. From your ex, from anyone that could hurt you.”

I smiled, his words soothing every part of my soul.

“The carnival.” I smiled, remembering our day together. The charm was of a Ferris wheel and the only one that was gold.

Logan took my hand and clasped the bracelet around my wrist. He looked up at me, my hand still in his.

“The first day I knew Oliver was falling in love with you.”
― Angela Graham, quote from Inevitable

“I couldn't think of anything to say so I kept quiet. I still can't think of anything to say so I am going to sleep.”
― Sue Townsend, quote from The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

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