#negation

No worse fate can befall a young man or woman than becoming prematurely entrenched in prudence and negation. ↗

— Knut Hamsun

#befall #entrenched #fate #man #negation

[A]s though mindful of the wife of Lot, who looked back from behind him, thou deliveredst me first to the sacred garments and monastic profession before thou gavest thyself to God. And for that in this one thing thou shouldst have had little trust in me I vehemently grieved and was ashamed. For I (God [knows]) would without hesitation precede or follow thee to the Vulcanian fires according to thy word. For not with me was my heart, but with thee. But now, more than ever, if it be not with thee, it is nowhere. For without thee it cannot anywhere exist. ↗

— Héloïse d'Argenteuil

#celibacy #convent #dignity #following #grief

Negation is the mind's first freedom, yet a negative habit is fruitful only so long as we exert ourselves to overcome it, adapt it to our needs; once acquired it can imprison us. ↗

— Emile M. Cioran

#adapt #exert #first #freedom #fruitful

When you care more if someone else lives than you do about yourself- is that what [love is]? ↗

— Jodi Picoult

#self-abnegation #love

I regret..." Tobias tilts his head, and sighs. "I regret my choice." "What Choice?" "Dauntless," he says. "I was born Abnegation. I was planning on leaving Dauntless, and becoming factionless. But I met her, and... I felt like maybe I could make something more of my decision." Her. ↗

— Veronica Roth

#dauntless #faction #love #romantic #tobias-eaton

Practice rather than preach. Make of your life an affirmation, defined by your ideals, not the negation of others. Dare to the level of your capability then go beyond to a higher level. ↗

— Alexander Haig

#beyond #capability #dare #defined #go

An 'unemployed' existence is a worse negation of life than death itself. ↗

— Jose Ortega y Gasset

#existence #itself #life #negation #than