Quote...UnQuote

The plague of our kind in this world is our innate obsession with oversimplifying anything.
We love our quotes, those condensed concoctions of voluminous philosophy. But one fine day, when you look into your inbox, where there is a new quote everyday sent in by some really enthusiastic person, with some amount of clarity in your otherwise completely pre-occupied head and some time to ponder (which, going by the trend of 2008 can also be defined as "Vacation") there is a chance you might feel slightly irritated with these condescending people of the past pushing their wisdom into your thoughts like cholesterol (the bad kind) in the guise of tasty junk food being pushed into the populace everywhere.
The theme being - "You asked for it. Now Enjoy."

To me, Quotes are simply personal opinions. Just because you are famous in your lifetime and people preserve your words doesnt mean they are essentially right. So many of Yogi Berra's quotes are famous because they are funny (hilarious even). Also, your wise and true observation of something at some point of time ( & History) may not be relevant when the world changes. Sometimes contradictory quotes for the same subject appear equally valid.

I felt the compulsion to state and publish my thoughts on this because of the following words that appeared in front of my face in Monotype Corsiva at 36 size-
" Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life."-Joan Lunden, in Healthy Living Magazine
To me that is utter crap. Granted that the guidelines to life are that you are supposed to stay happy for most of it, but imply that anger/hate/disgust is bad or unnatural is just sticking your head into the sand and pretending there is no sun.
You know which observation makes more sense to me with regards to the subject of the quote?This dialogue from a legendary movie starring a lead actor (called 41 below), who passed away recently.Yes, you remember this one-
"Your eyes are full of hate, Forty-one. That's good. Hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength." -Quintus Arias
Here's to you Charlie boy! [* raises a plastic beverage holder of Mocha Frapuccino and takes a sip in honor of the newly dead]

One more of the pithys thrust upon my busy mind that I dont accept as taking into account all realities of life-
"Fortune helps the brave." Terence (185 BC - 159 BC), Phormio.
I am not even going to take the trouble to explain why I disagree.

When something is complex or multilayered, acknowledge that fact and give any topic its due. There are things that cannot be summarized into bullet points or amusing quotes. Things are rarely simple and thanks be to god for that!

Overcomplexified & loving it,
Rain