Ebbie > Ebbie's Quotes

“This body of mine is not big enough to contain the scale of emotion coursing through me. How could I feel a rage like this, and not be able to tear the sky open and scorch the earth?”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me.

I choose vengeance.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“[...] But my body is mine and mine alone. I have chosen to use it for murder and vengeance.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“So what am I supposed to do?"
"Your worst, of course.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“It is my observations, though, that happiness limits the amount of suffering one is willing to inflict upon others”
― Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Dart

“Suppose que tu rencontres un fou qui affirme qu'il est un poisson et que nous sommes tous des poissons. Vas-tu te disputer avec lui? Vas-tu te déshabiller devant lui pour lui montrer que tu n'as pas de nageoires? Vas-tu lui dire en face ce que tu penses? Eh bien, dis-moi!"
Son frère se taisait, et Édouard poursuivit : "Si tu ne lui disais que la vérité, que ce que tu penses vraiment de lui, ça voudrait dire que tu consens à avoir une discussion sérieuse avec un fou et que tu es toi-même fou. C'est exactement la même chose avec le monde qui nous entoure. Si tu t'obstinais à lui dire la vérité en face, ça voudrait dire que tu le prends au sérieux. Et prendre au sérieux quelque chose d'aussi peu sérieux, c'est perdre soi-même tout son sérieux.”
― Milan Kundera, Risibles amours

“Ce n’est pas des gens comme Aoki que j’ai peur. Des types de son espèce, il y en a partout. Je suis résigné au fait qu’il en existe. Quand j’en aperçois un, je m’arrange simplement pour ne pas croiser son chemin. Avec eux, le salut est dans la fuite. Ça ne m’est pas bien difficile de les éviter, je les repère au premier coup d’œil. D’un autre côté, il m’arrive aussi de trouver que les gens comme Aoki sont très forts. Cette capacité à attendre tapi dans l’ombre qu’une occasion se présente, leur habileté à manipuler l’esprit des autres, tout le monde n’a pas ce don. Je déteste ce genre de types, ils me font vomir, mais je leur reconnais un certain talent.
Non, en fait, ce qui me fait vraiment peur, ce sont les autres, ceux qui gobent sans le moindre esprit critique tout ce qu’un Aoki peut leur raconter. Incapables de se forger leur propre opinion, ou de comprendre quoi que ce soit par eux-mêmes, ils avalent l’avis de beaux parleurs convaincants comme Aoki et mettent leurs propos en action en groupe. Il ne leur vient jamais à l’idée, même brièvement, qu’ils pourraient se tromper, faire une erreur, non. Ou qu’ils pourraient causer un mal définitif à quelqu’un, pour rien. Ils sont totalement irresponsables, ne se questionnent jamais sur les conséquences de leurs actes. Ce sont eux qui me font vraiment peur. Ces gens que je vois en rêve n’ont pas de visage. Leur silence envahit tout comme une eau glaciale. Dans ce silence, tout se met à fondre et à disparaître. Moi aussi je fonds au milieu d’eux, et j’ai beau hurler, personne ne m’entend.”
― Haruki Murakami, The Silence

“One last thing," I say over my shoulder, too quiet for my family to hear over the hovercraft churning. "Don't think I've overlooked that you came to my house and almost foiled my plan, despite knowing how important it is to me. If you tip off the army in even the slightest way, I will kill myself when they lock me up, and then I will haunt you.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“But a mother who has failed me so thoroughly is no mother of mine.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“One of them says, 'Why did they do it?'
And the other answers, 'Because they could.'
That is the only answer there ever is.”
― Naomi Alderman, The Power

“Another practice that has given healthy pride a bad name is excessive praise for the smallest childhood success, from earning tokens in the classroom to the trophy glut at Little League. Many adults are turned off by this overpraise, sensing that the children are being done no favor. In fact, research has shown that many children overpraised for success end up becoming more cautious and less motivated than the kids who were praised only for their amount of effort, successful or not.”
― Lindsay C. Gibson, Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: Honor Your Emotions, Nurture Your Self & Live with Confidence

“I think... you've been lied to about what male needs are like. We aren't animals. Yes, our desires get pretty strong, but they're not overpowering. There's no such thing as going mad because of them."

A bitter laugh grinds out of me like glass shards. "Tell that to all the girls getting raped as we speak."

"That's not a matter of losing control. Every guy who does something like that knows exactly what he's doing. There is always a moment where he consciously decides that he will ruin sometone's life to feel better about his own. Always.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“Shame and humiliation are self-imposed emotions, and from here on out, I choose not to feel them.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“There will be no redemption. It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“This world does not deserve my respect. It is not worthy of my kindness or compassion.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“This isn't his victory. This is my temporary mercy.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“Despite the endless horrors that we've both been through, I really am grateful that we survived to meet each other.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“Since the day I was born, the world had told me I must accept whatever woth men assign me. And maybe, despite my nonstop rebellion, I did. They told me to choose between accepting their doctrine or dying, and I did. I chose death. It was the surrender that made me fearless.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“Any choice they gave you was nothing but an illusion meant to make you bear the weight of the guilt, so they didn't have to.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“Redemption story, they said?

There will be no redemption. It is no me who is wrong. It's everyone else.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“Xie Lan sighed. “It certainly is painful to think about, to have given everything for love and lose everything in return.”
― Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel), Vol. 1

“You have to live each hour as if it’s your last,” she said, “and each day as if you were immortal. When my father grew ill, he had so many regrets. There were so many things he wished he’d done, he told me. He’d always assumed he had more time. That’s something I’ve always carried with me. Why on earth do you think I decided to attempt the flute at such an advanced age? Everyone told me I was too old, that to be truly good at it I had to have started as a child. But that’s not the point, really. I don’t need to be truly good. I just need to enjoy it for myself. And I need to know I tried.”
― Julia Quinn, The Viscount Who Loved Me

“But the opposite is true as well," Kate added softly. "You can't shun new challenges or hide yourself from love just because you think you might not be here to carry your dreams to completion. In the end, you'll have just as many regrets as did my father.”
― Julia Quinn, The Viscount Who Loved Me

“je me demande si nous partageons aussi
le même rêve, celui de
tout faire vaciller”
― Laurie Bédard, Les univers parallèles

“Nous avons appris à écouter les bruits même quand ils se taisent.”
― Laurie Bédard, Les univers parallèles

“Quelques-uns de mes noms y paraissaient; des joies minces, beaucoup de drames. J’ai dû les reprendre un par un, les consoler, les féliciter, leur demander pardon à la place de ceux qui ne le feront jamais.”
― Laurie Bédard, Les univers parallèles

“Under your feet, the trapdoor to heaven
opens its mouth, its teeth
grazing your toes.”
― Warsan Shire, Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head

“Quick note here: if this crush–slash–swooning stuff is hard for you to stomach; if you’ve never had a similar experience, then you should come to grips with the fact that you’ve got a TV dinner for a heart and might want to consider climbing inside a microwave and turning it on high for at least an hour, which if you do consider only goes to show what kind of idiot you truly are because microwaves are way too small for anyone, let alone you, to climb into.”
― Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

“I already knew that being brave didn’t mean anything unless you were willing to do it again.”
― Nghi Vo, Siren Queen

“Pleure ma fille. Les choix qu’on fait sont souvent difficiles à expliquer. Et lorsque les gens ne comprennent pas nos choix, ils s’éloignent, parce qu’ils ont peur, tu vois, que ce soit nous qui nous éloignions avant eux.”
― Naomi Fontaine, Manikanetish