- Theology is not exactly wisdom, and wisdom is not exactly theology.
- Confucius felt the radical pull of the moral law, and knew he did not fulfill it. He would have wept and wept at the beauty of the Gospel.
- A large part of growing up is realizing that our personality is not our identity, and thus is not an excuse for our weaknesses.
- The debate over the existence of God, in the end, is this: when we look into the world and ourselves, do we choose hope or despair? Meaning or the Absurd?
- Music: the most abstract beauty.
- If Kierkegaard had had the courage to marry Regine Olsen, she would have slowly assuaged his terrors. Modern Christianity might be a different thing. Indeed, the world at large might be different.
- It is impossible to be an existentialist and to feel like a member of a community at the same time.
- Long walks are much better than long sits.
- Prince Zuko and Will Hunting are the same character.
- If your heart does not weep at the beauty of Lord of the Rings, if it does not yearn for the compassion of the characters, if it does not burn at the courage and hope of the leaders, if it does not feel a visceral joy in the Shire, if it does not ache for the struggle of Frodo, if it does not long for the majesty of crowned Aragorn, if it is not astounded and called by the humility of Faramir, if it does not shout at the redemption and forgiveness of Boromir, if it is not moved to tears at the breadth and depth of insight into life that the books provide… you are missing out.
- I wonder how Nietzsche would have reacted if someone had told him that he is not shocking, his moral philosophy is amateur, and, worst of all, his writings are boring.
- Fewer things calm the soul more than sunshine.
- Fewer things unite the community more than a common enemy.
- The righteous man does not begrudge the joy of others when he himself is suffering.
- If I do not identify with the Pharisees, it is because I am one of them.
- Pain manifests itself in many ways.
- The one who only celebrates the hard things may be in pain.
- Reconciliation is impossible if it is not mutual. Does this cause sorrow or peace? Or, both?
- We are not powerless and we are not omnipotent.
- The one who is frantic for social happiness may be in pain.
- Is it possible for a humble man to realize he is humble?
- The only people who wrote and were remembered in the past were exceedingly intelligent. It is not surprising that the perceived average intelligence of literature has decreased.
- Often, shyness is selfishness. Occasionally, shyness is not selfishness.
- Truly, those who are forgiven much, love much.
- There is no comfort in the words, “So-and-so has it worse.” Those words are for the good times.
- Real love is not blindness.
- The workaholic may be in pain.
- Perhaps the Prince was sarcastic?
- If you have never thought that the topic of free will is complicated, it is doubtful that your thoughts on the subject will be insightful.
- We are led to believe that Lon was a less romantic man than Noah. Maybe he was simply a stronger man. Something to consider: Nicholas Sparks got a divorce.
- I’ve heard it said that we are at our most vulnerable when we are asking for forgiveness. I’m not sure, but the saying has merit.
- The difficulty with static genders are those who have indeterminate sex.
- Maslow was insightful, but brought humanistic commitments to his work.
Thoughts of a Novice 