We tend to think of the erotic as an easy, tantalizing sexual arousal. I speak of the erotic as the deepest life force, a force which moves us toward living in a fundamental way.
—Audre Lorde
What is erotic? The acrobatic play of the imagination. The sea of memories in which we bathe. The way we caress and worship things with our eyes. Our willingness to be stirred by the sight of the voluptuous. What is erotic is our passion for the liveliness of life.
—Diane Ackerman
I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.
—George Burns
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.
—Ursula K. Le Guin
The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children.
—Clarence Darrow
My life had gone right; it had gone exactly as it needed to in order to bring me here.
—Beth Harbison in Always Something There to Remind Me
Life is pain, anyone who says differently is selling something.
—William Goldman
I believe that people come into your life and then some go. I also think there’s a purpose as to why they were in your life at all. Each one takes a piece of you when they go. Some leave pieces of themselves with you. Sometimes it’s wisdom, or maybe, it’s a lesson.
—Shey Stahl in Waiting for You
Friends: It’s not the quantity, but the quality that matters. You will meet a lot of people throughout your life, not everyone will be your friend. That’s okay. You’ll know when you meet a true friend. True friends are trusting and loyal. They are there for you during good and bad times.
—Alison G. Bailey in Present Perfect
For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
—Alfred D. Souza
Once you fully apprehend the vacuity of a life without struggle, you are equipped with the basic means of salvation.
—Tennessee Williams
Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal in life is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally with beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank God for letting you have the ride.
—Jenkin Lloyd Jones
It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
—E.L. Doctorow
Life in abundance comes only through great love.
—Elbert Hubbard
Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.
—Erich Fromm