Alain de Botton Quotes
Though the terrain of frustration may be vast - from a stubbed toe to an untimely death - at the heart of every frustration lies a basic structure: the collision of a wish with an unyielding reality.
Quotes to Explore
-
I don't see pitches down the middle anymore - not even in batting practice.
-
Age is just a number. Unless, that is, you live in Hollywood, where there's this notion that if you haven't hit it big by your 20s, you may as well hit the road.
-
My father had a flourishing business as a publisher in North India.
-
The television business is based on managed dissatisfaction. You're watching a great television show you're really wrapped up in? You might get 50 minutes of watching a week and then 18,000 minutes of waiting until the next episode comes along.
-
A lot of people go in and have to create their own characters, and they do fine with it.
-
It came about as follows: over the years when I was involved in dianetics, I wrote the beginnings of many stories. I would get an idea, and then write the beginning, and then never touch it again.
-
I am forever grateful for 'Cheers.'
-
I think there's plenty of evidence that we need to stop spewing so much carbon into the air, that we're contributing to climate change and that we ought to look for alternatives.
-
In studio films, everything has to be boxed in, everybody needs to know beforehand - this is comedy, this is sci-fi, this is drama - and what's the point of independent film if you don't get to experiment?
-
In 1996, Al Jazeera was the first TV station in the Arab world to allow Israelis to appear on the screen and express their views and address the Arab world. Before that, Arab broadcasters did not allow what was perceived as the enemy to appear on the screen.
-
One must act in painting as in life, directly.
-
Well, an actor is an actor is actor, to paraphrase someone or other and the opportunity to work, to have a steady engagement, certainly seemed like an appealing concept to me.
-
He plants trees to benefit another generation.
-
Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible.
-
We will fight and defend my good name in the European court. We have to be strong and defend Ukraine from this authoritarianism.
-
First and foremost, the monk should own nothing in this world, but he should have as his possessions solitude of the body, modesty of bearing, a modulated tone of voice, and a well-ordered manner of speech. He should be without anxiety as to his food and drink, and should eat in silence.
-
We lived in a classless society. We'd spend a summer at Gore Vidal's house in Italy, but we were on and off welfare.
-
If you want to get along, go along.
-
Having your work honored nationally is a great morale booster.
-
One good thing about being young is that you're not experienced enough to know what can't be done.
-
We should live as if we were in public view, and think, too, as if someone could peer into the inmost recesses of our hearts-which someone can!
-
The reality is that everybody makes mistakes. The issue isn't whether you will make them, it's what you will do about them. It's whether you will choose the path of humility and courage or the path of ego and pride.
-
In the temple of his spirit, each man is alone.
-
Though the terrain of frustration may be vast - from a stubbed toe to an untimely death - at the heart of every frustration lies a basic structure: the collision of a wish with an unyielding reality.
