#ions

Certainly the most destructive vice if you like, that a person can have. More than pride, which is supposedly the number one of the cardinal sins - is self pity. Self pity is the worst possible emotion anyone can have. And the most destructive. It is, to slightly paraphrase what Wilde said about hatred, and I think actually hatred's a subset of self pity and not the other way around - ' It destroys everything around it, except itself '. Self pity will destroy relationships, it'll destroy anything that's good, it will fulfill all the prophecies it makes and leave only itself. And it's so simple to imagine that one is hard done by, and that things are unfair, and that one is underappreciated, and that if only one had had a chance at this, only one had had a chance at that, things would have gone better, you would be happier if only this, that one is unlucky. All those things. And some of them may well even be true. But, to pity oneself as a result of them is to do oneself an enormous disservice. I think it's one of things we find unattractive about the american culture, a culture which I find mostly, extremely attractive, and I like americans and I love being in america. But, just occasionally there will be some example of the absolutely ravening self pity that they are capable of, and you see it in their talk shows. It's an appalling spectacle, and it's so self destructive. I almost once wanted to publish a self help book saying 'How To Be Happy by Stephen Fry : Guaranteed success'. And people buy this huge book and it's all blank pages, and the first page would just say - ' Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself - And you will be happy '. Use the rest of the book to write down your interesting thoughts and drawings, and that's what the book would be, and it would be true. And it sounds like 'Oh that's so simple', because it's not simple to stop feeling sorry for yourself, it's bloody hard. Because we do feel sorry for ourselves, it's what Genesis is all about. ↗

— Stephen Fry

#depression #depression-humor #happiness #marriage-advice #morality

Questions are great, but only if you know the answers. If you ask questions and the answers surprise you, you look silly. ↗

— Laurell K. Hamilton

#questions #anita-blake

Each man has his own desires; all do not possess the same inclinations. ↗

— Aulus Persius Flaccus

#each #his #inclinations #man #own

Reporters used to ask me the same inane questions year-in and year-out, city-to-city, and it would drive me crazy. ↗

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

#crazy #drive #me #questions #reporters

You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body. ↗

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

#body #center #emotions #ever #forget

We began intercepting Japanese radio transmissions, which indicated the two forces were very close to each other. We found out later that we were moving in opposite directions and passed each other by 32 miles. ↗

— Jack Adams

#close #directions #each #forces #found

I have a very bad relationship with mice. ↗

— Casey Affleck

#i #mice #relationship #very

In my movies, there has been little to do in the way of animal rights. I have never worked in a movie with animals. No horse-riding, no trained dogs, lions, bears. A few actors, but what could I do? We had to have them. ↗

— Casey Affleck

#animal rights #bears #been #could #dogs

It's important to take time for your spouse and nurture the relationship. ↗

— Christina Aguilera

#nurture #relationship #spouse #take #time

Any types of auditions will be posted in trade magazines. ↗

— Paula Abdul

#auditions #magazines #posted #trade #types