Bessel van der Kolk Quotes
It is one thing to process memories of trauma, but it is an entirely different matter to confront the inner void—the holes in the soul that result from not having been wanted, not having been seen, and not having been allowed to speak the truth.
Quotes to Explore
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There are really two kinds of optimism. There's the complacent, Pollyanna optimism that says, 'Don't worry - everything will be just fine,' and that allows one to just lay back and do nothing about the problems around you. Then there's what we call dynamic optimism. That's an optimism based on action.
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Do not measure your loss by itself; if you do, it will seem intolerable; but if you will take all human affairs into account you will find that some comfort is to be derived from them.
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Every woman should shave her head once in her life, to experience what it feels like.
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Religion can emerge in all forms of feeling: here wild anger, there the sweetest pain; here consuming hatred, there the childlike smile of serene humility.
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Instead of asking God to remove our problems so that our lives might be happy, we must purposefully try to learn as much as we can - and thereby become happier due to our insights and growth.
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I think Karl Rove saw that in George W. Bush early on and understood the impact that he could have on Texas politics and probably on national politics.
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I entered the acting world at a time when there was a higher demand for Middle Eastern actors in the post-9/11 world, and yeah, the roles weren't great.
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I was born with an evil face.
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Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.
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Forget market or publishers or whatever. Just write with fire and joy, and in my own experience, those are the stories of mine people have wanted to read.
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Curiously, the United States is full of writers who have one big work in their life and that's all.
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A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.
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Cruelty is contagious in uncivilized communities.
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Personality is so important - when you dress somebody for a big party, it is good to feel that the person has an ease and naturalness with what she is wearing.
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'I sucked a lot of liberal cocks to get where I am today.'
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he said if enough people-a stadium full, maybe-were to concentrate on one thing, such as setting a tree afire in the woods, that the tree would ignite of its own accord. I toyed with the idea of asking everyone below to concentrate on setting Tom Robinson free, but
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When we want to do something while unconsciously certain to fail, we seek advice so we can blame someone else for the failure.
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'This fellow,' he indicated the woodsman with a sweep of his stick, 'will reliably not become more alive, but he may have friends or family who will be unsettled to find him so extremely dead.'
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It is better to take what does not belong to you than to let it lie around neglected.
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Although human beings are incapable of talking about themselves with total honesty, it is much harder to avoid the truth while pretending to be other people. They often reveal much about themselves in a very straightforward way. I am certain that I did. There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself.
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I have such happy memories of performing in a choir and I don't think I'd have got where I am today without all that experience. So my advice to young singers is to either join your school or church's choir or find one in your local area. Choral music at any level teaches you so much about musicianship and blending your voice.
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To me a real patriot is like a real friend. Who's your real friend? It's the person who tells you the truth. That's who my real friends are. So, you know, I think as far as our country goes, we need more people who will do that.
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This is how to avoid re-creating painful situations: Take the time to discover your real intention before you act. If it is to change someone or the world so that you will feel safe or better about yourself, don't act on it, because it is an intention of fear and can create only painful consequences.
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It is one thing to process memories of trauma, but it is an entirely different matter to confront the inner void—the holes in the soul that result from not having been wanted, not having been seen, and not having been allowed to speak the truth.
