... suffering does not ennoble. It destroys. To resist destruction, self-hatred, or lifelong hopelessness, we have to throw off th...e conditioning of being despised, the fear of becoming the they that is talked about so dismissively, to refuse lying myths and easy moralities, to see ourselves as human, flawed, and extraordinary. All of us--extraordinary.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
... the first step of the terrible journey toward feeling somebody should act, that ends in utter confusion and hopelessness, east... of the sun and west of the moon.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
It is not the passion of a mind struggling with misfortune, or the hopelessness of its desires, but of a mind preying on itself, a...nd disgusted with, or indifferent to all other things.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
But look what we have built ... low-income projects that become worse centers of delinquency, vandalism and general social hopeles...sness than the slums they were supposed to replace.... Cultural centers that are unable to support a good bookstore. Civic centers that are avoided by everyone but bums.... Promenades that go from no place to nowhere and have no promenaders. Expressways that eviscerate great cities. This is not the rebuilding of cities. This is the sacking of cities.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Now they express All that's content to wear a worn-out coat,... All actions done in patient hopelessness, All that ignores the silences of death, Thinking no further than the hand can hold, All that grows old, Yet works on uselessly with shortened breath.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I hate England and its hopelessness. I hate [Arnold] Bennett's resignation. Tragedy ought really to be a great big kick at misery.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
It is only when we are very happy that we can bear to gaze merrily upon the vast and limitless expanse of water, rolling on and on... with such persistent, irritating monotony, to the accompaniment of our thoughts, whether grave or gay. When they are gay, the waves echo their gaiety; but when they are sad, then every breaker, as it rolls, seems to bring additional sadness, and to speak to us of hopelessness and of the pettiness of all our joys.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »