#constraints

At a minimum, in explaining evolutionary pathways through time, the constraints imposed by history rise to equal prominence with the immediate advantages of adaptation. ↗

— Stephen Jay Gould

#advantages #constraints #equal #evolutionary #explaining

pour que tu sois libre de la liberté du chanteur qui improvise sur l'instrument à cordes, ne faut-il pas que je t'exerce d'abord les doigts et t'enseigne l'art du chanteur? Ce qui est guerre, contrainte et endurance. Et pour que tu sois libre de la liberté du montagnard, ne faut-il pas que tu aies exercé tes muscles, ce qui est guerre, contrainte et endurance? Et pour que tu sois libre de la liberté du poête, ne faut-il pas que tu aies exercé ton cerveau et forgé ton style, ce qui est guerre, contrainte et endurance? (chapitre CLII) ↗

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

#freedom #art

She understood the genre constraints, the decencies we were supposed to be observing. The morally cosy vision allows the embrace of monstrosity only as a reaction to suffering or as an act of rage against the Almighty. Vampire interviewee Louis is in despair at his brother’s death when he accepts Lestat’s offer. Frankenstein’s creature is driven to violence by the violence done to him. Even Lucifer’s rebellion emerges from the agony of injured pride. The message is clear: By all means become an abomination—but only while unhinged by grief or wrath. By rights, Talulla knew, she should have been orphaned or raped or paedophilically abused or terminally ill or suicidally depressed or furious at God for her mother’s death or at any rate in some way deranged if she was to be excused for not having killed herself, once it became apparent that she’d have to murder and devour people in order to stay alive. The mere desire to stay alive, in whatever form you’re lumbered with—werewolf, vampire, Father of Lies—really couldn’t be considered a morally sufficient rationale. And yet here she was, staying alive. You love life because life’s all there is. ↗

— Glen Duncan

#death

What was the freedom to which the adult human being rose in the morning, if each act was held back or inspired by the overpowering ghost of a little child? ↗

— Delmore Schwartz

#constraints #freedom #memory #dreams

Western women have been controlled by ideals and stereotypes as much as by material constraints. ↗

— Naomi Wolf

#constraints #controlled #ideals #material #much