“You have to be OK with the worst version of yourself.”
— Louis CK
“The miracle isn’t in the act of birth, but in the commitment of parenting — the heroic promise you’ve made to ride this thing out until either you or your kid is dead, no matter what. Parenting goes against every one of our naturally selfish instincts to maximize pleasure and minimize stress. It defies lots of science’s rules, but we do it anyway. In spite of all the unpredictable, unfixable, unthinkable things that happen in this world, parents forge ahead and sacrifice over and over, driven by a genuine desire to make today better than yesterday for this very needy, demanding little person that costs a fortune …
[Furthermore] There is nothing at all miraculous about giving birth. Just about any woman can do it, and it’s happening every second of every day. Birth is a natural function of the body, and is thus really no more miraculous than the organismal feats of turning food into energy, or using oxygen as a catalyst for life. Yet no one speaks of “the miracle of breathing,” as mystifying as that process actually is, because it is completely commonplace and explicable by science — just like birth. Sorry to be harsh, but there ain’t nothing special about getting knocked up. In most cases, it’s easier than getting a driver’s license.”
— Ian Mathias
“I remembered you was conflicted. Misusing your influence, sometimes I did the same. Abusing my power full of resentment. Resentment that turned into a deep depression. Found myself screamin’ in the hotel room. I didn’t wanna self destruct. The evils of Lucy was all around me. So I went runnin’ for answers …”
— Kendrick Lamar
“Beware of people that claim to be “not a details person,” or even worse, “a big picture guy.” They must teach you how to be this in business school, because MBAs are great at pulling off this kind of bullshit. Every organization needs a couple “deciders,” but 99% of amazing work is done by those willing to trouble themselves with the minutiae. Turning a blank canvas into something great is a lot harder, and more commendable, than being the guy that says “we need to turn this blank canvas into something great.” Nice idea boss.”
— Ian Mathias
“If one day we somehow prove that God is real, I’ll bet you an ice cream cone that the Holy One isn’t half as crazy and dangerous as the bulk of his/her/its followers. Millions of people have been killed in the name of one deity or another, and many of them suffered horribly for no reason other than the fact that the guy with the bigger sword believed a different unprovable dogma than the guy with the smaller sword. Millions more have been persecuted, displaced, ostracized, or just made to feel inferior over similar beliefs that just cannot be proven right or wrong. It’s sad, and has greatly tainted religion for me.”
