I think in every lesson there's a blessing, and there's so many blessings from all the lessons I've had to go through in life.

Our strength is often composed of the weakness that we're damned if we are going to show.

Mignon McLaughlin

The only shame is to have none

Blaise Pascal

In view of all this, I have no doubt that Cambyses was completely out of his mind; it is the only possible explanation of his assault upon, and mockery of, everything which ancient law and custom have made sacred in Egypt. If anyone, no matter who, were given the opportunity of choosing from amongst all the nations in the world the set of beliefs which he thought best, he would inevitably, after careful consideration of their relative merits, choose that of his own country. Everyone without exception believes his own native customs, and the religion he was brought up in, to be the best; and that being so, it is unlikely that anyone but a madman would mock at such things. There is abundant evidence that this is the universal feeling about the ancient customs of one's country. One might recall, in particular, an anecdote of Darius. When he was king of Persia, he summoned the Greeks who happened to be present in his court, and asked them what they would take to eat the dead bodies of their fathers. They replied that they would not do it for any money in the world. Later, in the presence of the Greeks, and through an interpreter, so that they could understand what was said, he asked some Indians, of the tribe called the Callatiae, who do in fact eat their parents' dead bodies, what they would take to burn them. They uttered a cry of horror and forbade him to mention such a dreadful thing. One can see by this what custom can do, and Pindar, in my opinion, was right when he called it king of all.(Herodotus is expressing his own feelings about the story of the madness of Cambyses)

Herodotus, Custom Rules (from Th

One of my earliest memories is of my father carrying me in one arm with a picket sign in the other.

Camryn Manheim

The most effective way to achieve right relations with any living thing is to look for the best in it, and then help that best into the fullest expression.

Allen J. Boone

I was blessed with a birth and a death, and I guess I just want some say in between.

Ani DiFranco

Mundane humans create distinctions between themselves, distinctions that seem ridiculous to any Shadowhunter. Their distinctions are based on race, religion, national identity, any of a dozen minor and irrelevant markers. ~ Valentine

Cassandra Clare

While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.

Leonardo DaVinci

I think that is what film and art and music do they can work as a map of sorts for your feelings.

Bruce Springsteen

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein

I have to keep up with the scientific literature as part of my job, but increasingly I found myself reading things that weren't really relevant to my academic work, but were relevant to gardening.

Ken Thompson

I was always a sci-fi and fantasy geek. I was in the 'Lord of the Rings' club and all my cool friends made fun of me.

Melissa de la Cruz