But unless we are creators we are not fully alive. What do I mean by creators? Not only artists, whose acts of creation are the obvious ones of working with paint of clay or words. Creativity is a way of living life, no matter our vocation or how we ...
Intuition can also mean an instant recognition of a truth, sensing that you are doing the right thing in making a choice or decision even if it is not the immediately obvious option or an experience of knowing the probable outcome just as it is begin...
A guilty conscience pushed me to try harder—which I did for what seemed like a tremendous amount of wasted time, staring bug-eyed at uncooperative pencils. What was missing? The answer seemed obvious—intense emotional incentive. But at the moment...
Do extremely difficult work. That seems obvious, right? If you do something that's valued but scarce because it's difficult, you're more likely to be in demand and to be compensated fairly for what you do. The implication is stunning, though: When de...
People on the side of The People always ended up disappointed, in any case. They found that The People tended not to be grateful or appreciative or forward-thinking or obedient. The People tended to be small-minded and conservative and not very cleve...
Color is definitely an important factor for me during all phases of producing a cover. I always start out with a loose idea of what I want to see when I'm doing my initial sketches. This choice can be informed by anything, but I usually tend to lean ...
I used to think that once you really knew a thing, its truth would shine on forever. Now it's pretty obvious to me that more often than not the batteries fade, and sometimes what you knew even goes out with a bang when you try and call on it, just li...
The standard argument is that civilian deaths in Afghanistan were the regrettable consequence of military action that was needed to destroy Al Qaida bases and thus prevent further terrorist attacks. But this is a spurious argument since it is obvious...
Still Caine hesitated. A big, warm bed. A beautiful girl to share it with. Food. Water. Everything he needed, just a few miles away on the island. The logical, rational answer was obvious. "Which is why the world stays messed up," Caine said under hi...
Dead people never seem to address the obvious - the things you'd think they'd be bursting to talk about, and the things all of us not-yet-dead are madly curious about. Such as: 'Hey, where are you now? What do you do all day? What's it feel like bein...
The voice that says, “That’s the way I am,” is the voice of knowledge. It’s the voice of the liar living in the Tree of Knowledge in your head. The Toltec consider it a mental disease that is highly contagious because it’s transmitted from ...
I don't particularly believe all love is doomed. But I guess, one is usually kinda suffering from some aborted love affair or association, rather than being at the peak of one. I think it's fairly obvious that a lot more suffering goes on in the name...
The best thing about writing fiction is that moment where the story catches fire and comes to life on the page, and suddenly it all makes sense and you know what it’s about and why you’re doing it and what these people are saying and doing, and y...
If you find yourself constantly stressing to keep up with the worldly demands from your friends, then it's obvious that you are in the wrong circle. But even after separating yourself from it, you would also need to work on having a mind of your own....
People who think with their epidermis or their genitalia or their clan are the problem to begin with. One does not banish this specter by invoking it. If I would not vote against someone on the grounds of 'race' or 'gender' alone, then by the exact s...
For obvious reasons, the relationship between novelists, the reviewing establishment and critics in general is chronically, and often acutely, edgy. A kind of low-intensity warfare prevails, with outbreaks of savagery. It is partly an ownership issue...
Lebel: It's obvious that the Jackal has been tipped off all along, and yet he's decided to go ahead, regardless. He's simply challenged the whole lot of us. Minister: Are you really suggesting that there's a leak from inside this room? Lebel: I can't...
[Lau announces that he's removed all the mob's cash from their banks before the police raid, and stashed them in a secure location] Lau: For obvious reasons, I couldn't wait for your permission. Rest assured, your money is safe. [From outside comes t...
Barber: Why don't you train us to be top fighters... and we'll avenge them! Landlady: Becoming a top fighter takes time, unless you're a natural-born kung-fu genius, and they're 1 in a million. Barber: [Does martial arts routine] It's obvious I'm the...
Guido: [being shipped to a concentration camp] You've never ridden on a train, have you? They're fantastic! Everybody stands up, close together, and there are no seats! Giosué Orefice: There aren't any seats? Guido: Seats? On a train? It's obvious y...
Stephen Hawking: I will write a book. Jane Hawking: About what? Stephen Hawking: Time. Jane Hawking: Time? Stephen Hawking: What is the nature of time? Will it ever come to an end? Can we go back in time? Some day these answers may seem as obvious to...