A good performance, like a human life, is a temporal affair--a process in time. It is good as a whole through being good in its pa...rts, and through their good order to one another. It cannot be called good as a whole until it is finished. During the process all we can say of it, if we speak precisely, is that it is becoming good. The same is true of a whole human life. Just as the whole performance never exists at any one time, but is a process of becoming, so a human life is also a performance in time and a process of becoming. And just as the goodness that attaches to the performance as a whole does not attach to any of its parts, so the goodness of a human life as a whole belongs to it alone, and not to any of its parts or phases.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Sometimes you're overwhelmed when a thing comes, and you do not realize the magnitude of the affair at that moment. When you get a...way from it, you wonder, did it really happen to you.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Love, by reason of its passion, destroys the in-between which relates us to and separates us from others. As long as its spell las...ts, the only in-between which can insert itself between two lovers is the child, love's own product. The child, this in-between to which the lovers now are related and which they hold in common, is representative of the world in that it also separates them; it is an indication that they will insert a new world into the existing world. Through the child, it is as though the lovers return to the world from which their love had expelled them. But this new worldliness, the possible result and the only possibly happy ending of a love affair, is, in a sense, the end of love, which must either overcome the partners anew or be transformed into another mode of belonging together.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
And the purpose of the many stops and starts will be made clear: Backing into the old affair of not wanting to grow... Into the night, which becomes a house, a parting of the ways Taking us far into sleep. A dumb love.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
For universal love is as special an aspect as carnal love or any of the other kinds: all forms of mental and spiritual activity mu...st be practiced and encouraged equally if the whole affair is to prosper. There is no cutting corners where the life of the soul is concerned....LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
It is unfortunately very true that, without leisure and money, love can be no more than an orgy of the common man.... Instead of b...eing a sudden impulse full of ardour and reverie, it becomes a distastefully utilitarian affair.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
To Nobody, then, will I write my journal! since to Nobody can I be wholly unreserved--to Nobody can I reveal every thought, every ...wish of my heart, with the most unlimited confidence, the most unremitting sincerity to the end of my life! For what chance, what accident can end my connections with Nobody? No secret can I conceal from No--body, and to No--body can I be ever unreserved. Disagreement cannot stop our affection, Time itself has no power to end our friendship. The love, the esteem I entertain for Nobody, No-body's self has not power to destroy. From Nobody I have nothing to fear, the secrets sacred to friendship, Nobody will not reveal, when the affair is doubtful, Nobody will not look towards the side least favourable.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I have been wavering in my mind whether I should ever again touch this journal, unless it were to commit it to the flames--for thi...s same mind of mine would fain persuade me that this journal of mine is a very ridiculous, trifling and useless affair ... but I felt at the same time a regret, a loss of something in forbearing to here unburden myself ... and now that I once more have taken courage to begin, I think I already feel twice the content I did while this dear little book was neglected.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »