#cynic

Everyone is so cynical about the possibility of democracy today. But not me, I’m an idealist: democracy isn’t possible outside my own mind. According to my perceptions, this is a dictatorship. ↗

— Benson Bruno

#democracy #funny #humor #idealism #politics

Gold was not sure of many things, but he was definite about one: for every successful person he knew, he could name at least two others of greater ability, better, and higher intelligence who, by comparison, had failed. ↗

— Joseph Heller

#intelligence

Cynics are simply thwarted romantics. ↗

— William Goldman

#humor #life #romantics #writing #humor

Life—the way it really is—is a battle not between good and bad, but between bad and worse ↗

— Joseph Brodsky

#human #life #philosophy #wisdom #life

I believe you find life such a problem because you think there are good people and bad people. You're wrong, of course. There are, always and only, the bad people, but some of them are on opposite sides. ↗

— Terry Pratchett

#good-and-evil #idealism #politics #vetinari #life

The real inferiority of women to men is shown by their hate of paederasty, which they regard as unfair competition. Men on the other hand rather approve of Sapphism, as saving them trouble & expense. —Aleister Crowley. 1929-03-09 diary entry. ↗

— Lawrence Sutin

#cynicism #sex #life

Amory: I love you. Rosalind: I love you- now. ↗

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

#love #love

George stared at the dove. What would she say if she could speak to him? What would she wish for, for her father? For she, too, had been harmed by a man who had meant to show his utmost love for her. It made George wonder why love was suppose to be such a wonderful thing. As far as he could tell, love was just another excuse for causing pain. ↗

— Mette Ivie Harrison

#cynical #heartbreak #hurt #love #pain

The girls said she was too cynical about love, but how could you not be? On the surface, relations between men and women were all soft kisses and white gowns and hand-holding. But underneath they were a scary, complicated, ugly mess, just waiting to rise to the surface. ↗

— J. Courtney Sullivan

#cynical #love #mess #relationships #love

In de ontwikkelde wereld is de levensverwachting nu gestegen tot 80 jaar voor vrouwen en 76 jaar voor mannen. Een opmerkelijk gevolg daarvan is dat twee derde van alle mensen die ooit 65 jaar zijn geworden, nú leven. Tussen haakjes, de leeftijd van 65 jaar werd ooit door Bismarck [oude Duitsland] in de 19e eeuw gekozen als de officiële pensioensgerechtigde leeftijd, toen de levensverwachting in Duitsland 48 jaar was. Men verwachtte dat slechts weinig mensen die gezegende leeftijd zouden bereiken, en ons gehele sociale contract met betrekking tot werk en pensioensystemen was ontwikkeld om te zorgen voor deze geringe hoeveelheid mensen. ↗

— Bernard Lietaer

#men