Sam Keen

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Samuel McMurray Keen (November 23, 1931 – March 19, 2025) was an American author, academic and philosopher who is best known for his exploration of questions regarding love, life, wonder, religion, and being a male in contemporary society.

Quotes from Sam Keen

The warrior energy of men now has to be used paradoxically to destroy the warrior psyche and the politics of warfare. It will require more courage and aggression than we’ve ever seen on the battlefield.

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war courage violence warrior energy

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Freedom lies beyond conformity or rebellion.

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freedom rebellion conformity

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In our society, we've become myopic and obsessive about one particular kind of love: dyadic love, which takes the form of romance, sex, marriage. As a result we end up asking all the wrong questions. Books about relationships talk about how to "get" the love you need, how to "keep" love, and so on. But the right question to ask is "How do I become a more loving human being?

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love relationships society romance marriage sex

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Enter each day with the expectation that the happenings of the day may contain a clandestine message addressed to you personally. Expect omens, epiphanies, casual blessings, and teachers who unknowingly speak to your condition.

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There is no easy formula for determining right and wrong livelihood, but it is essential to keep the question alive. . . . We have to stop pretending that we can make a living at something that is trivial or destructive and still have a sense of legitimate self-worth. A society in which vocation and job are separated for most people gradually creates an economy that is often devoid of spirit, one that frequently fills our pocketbooks at the cost of emptying our souls.

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Adolescence is a modern invention, a time before the onset of responsibility. During this moratorium the not-yet-adult is allowed to rebel, to play, and to experiment. In primitive cultures the son was cast in the same mold as the father. The sacred ways of the ancestors were repeated without alteration.

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