Musings.................quotes

From Truisms and Other Texts
by Jenny Holzer

a friend had these hanging on his wall. I copied them all down into a notebook, then sometime in the past entered them into an ascii file on my computer. i believe the emphasis is mine, but i don't remember what they were for. i remember one year seeing some of these on film marquis around new york city. i was told she did it in many cities.

OCCASIONALLY PRINCIPLES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE

offer very little information about yourself

old friends are better left in the past

pain can be a very positive thing

people are boring unless they're extremists

people are nuts if they think they're important

people who go crazy are too sensitive

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE IS ESCAPISM

potential counts for nothing unless it's realised

presentation is as important as content

RANDOM MATING IS GOOD FOR DEBUNKING SEX MYTHS

rechanneling destructive impulses is a sign of maturity

resolutions serve to ease your conscience

ROUTINE IS A LINK WITH THE PAST

ROUTINE SMALL EXCESSES ARE WORSE THAN THE OCCASIONAL DEBAUCH

SELF-AWARENESS CAN BE CRIPPLING

selfishness is the most basic motivation

selflessness is the highest achievement

SEX DIFFERENCES ARE HERE TO STAY

sin is a means of social control

slipping into madness is good for the sake of comparison

some stones are better left unturned

SOME WOUNDS NEVER HEAL

SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS LOOK THE OTHER WAY

STARVATION IS NATURE'S WAY

** STASIS IS A DREAM STATE **

stupid people shouldn't breed

the mundane is to be cherished

TORTURE IS BARBARIC

TRUE FREEDOM IS FRIGHTFUL

WAR IS A PURIFICATION RITE

you should travel light

sometimes science advances faster than it should

spending too much time on self-improvement is anti-social

STERILIZATION IS A WEAPON OF THE RULERS

STRONG EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT STEMS FROM BASIC INSECURITY

TAKING A STRONG STAND PUBLICIZES THE OPPOSITE POSITION

talking is used to hide one's inability to act

teasing people sexually can had ugly consequences

THE IDEA OF REVOLUTION IS AN ADOLESCENT FANTASY

the idea of transcendence is used to obscure oppression

the most profound things are inexpressible

the new is nothing but a restatement of the old

THE ONLY WAY TO BE PURE IS TO STAY BY YOURSELF

the sum of your actions determines what you are

the unattainable is invariable attractive

THE WORLD OPERATES ACCORDING TO DISCOVERABLE LAWS

there's a fine line between information and propaganda

THERE'S NOTHING EXCEPT WHAT YOU SENSE

thinking too much can cause problems

THREATENING SOMEONE SEXUALLY IS A HORRIBLE ACT

unique things must be the most valuable

UNQUESTIONING LOVE DEMONSTRATES LARGESSE OF SPIRIT

USING FORCE TO STOP FORCE IS ABSURD

violence is permissible even desirable occasionally

when something terrible happens people wake up

words tend to be inadequate

WORRYING CAN HELP YOU PREPARE

YOU ARE A VICTIM OF THE RULES YOU LIVE BY

YOU ARE GUILELESS IN YOUR DREAMS

you dig your own grave

ANIMALISM IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY

AMBIVALENCE CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTITUTING THE MEANING OF THINGS

you are the past present and future

YOU CAN NEVER OUTRUN YOURSELF

you can pull yourself out of any hole

you can't expect people to be something they're not

you can't fool others if you're fooling yourself

you don't know what's what until you support yourself

YOU HAVE TO HURT OTHERS TO BE EXTRAORDINARY

YOU MUST BE INTIMATE WITH A TOKEN FEW

YOU MUST DISAGREE WITH AUTHORITY FIGURES

YOU MUST HAVE ONE GRAND PASSION

YOU CAN ONLY UNDERSTAND SOMEONE OF YOUR OWN SEX

your actions are pointless if no one notices

YOUR OLDEST FEARS ARE YOUR WORST ONES

you must know where you stop and the world begins

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK OF YOU

YOU OWE THE WORLD NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND

a lot of professionals are crackpots

a name means a lot just by itself

A MAN CAN'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A MOTHER
(can a mother? can the crone fully remember?)

a sense of timing is the mark of genius

a strong sense of duty imprisons you

ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION CAN BE A FORM OF FREEDOM

ABTRACTION IS A TYPE OF DECADENCE

abuse of power comes as no surprise

action causes more trouble than thought

ALIENATION PRODUCES ECCENTRICS OR REVOLUTIONARIES

all things are delicately interconnected

AMBITION IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS COMPLACENCY

an elite is inevitable

anger or hate can be a useful motivating force

ARTIFICAL DESIRES ARE DESPOILING THE EARTH

at times inactivity is preferrable to mindless functioning

bad intentions can yield good results

BEING HAPPY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE

BEING HONESTY IS NOT ALWAY THE KINDEST WAY

BEING JUDGEMENTAL IS A SIGN OF LIFE

BEING SURE OF YOURSELF MEANS YOU'RE A FOOL

boredom makes you do crazy things

CATEGORIZING FEAR IS CALMING

CHILDREN ARE THE CRUELEST OF ALL

children are the hope of the future

CONFUSING YOURSELF IS A WAY TO STAY HONEST

CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY IS RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT

decadence can be an end in itself

DECENCY IS A RELATIVE THING

dependence can be a meal ticket

DESCRIPTION IS MORE VALUABLE THAN METAPHOR

deviants are sacrified to increase group solidarity

DISORGANIZATION IS A KIND OF ANESTHESIA

don't place too much trust in experts

don't run people's lives for them

drama often obscures the real issues

dying and coming back gives you considerable perspective

elaboration is a form of pollution

emotional responses are as valuable as intellectual responses

ENJOY YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CHANCE ANYTHING ANYWAY

ensure that your life stays in flux

every achievement requires a sacrifice

EVERYONE'S WORK IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT

expiring for love is beautiful but stupid

expressing anger is necessary

faithfulness is a social not biological law

it's not good to operate on credit

fake or real indifference is a powerful personal weapon

fear is the greatest incapacitator

EXTREME SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS LEADS TO PERVERSION

freedom is a luxury not a necessity

giving free reign to your emotions is an honest way to live

going with the flow is soothing but risky

GOOD DEEDS ARE EVENTUALLY REWARDED

guilt and self-laceration are indulgences

ideals are replaced by conventional goals at a certain age

just believing in something can make it happen

keep something in reserve for emergencies

knowing yourself lets you understand others

LEARN THINGS FROM THE GROUND UP

listen when your body talks

low expectations are a good protection

men are not monogamous by nature (nor women)

moderation kills the spirit

MORALS ARE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FIT TO RULE THEMSELVES

MOSTLY YOU SHOULD MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS
(but what is your business?)

much was decided before you were born

MURDER HAS ITS SEXUAL SIDE

myths make reality more intelligible

Nothing upsets the balance of good and evil

illness is a state of mind

in some instances it's better to die than to continue

INHERITANCE MUST BE ABOLISHED

it's better to be a good person than a famous person

IT'S BETTER TO BE LONELY THAN TO BE WITH INFERIOR PEOPLE

it's crucial to have an active fantasy life

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO RECONCILE YOUR HEART AND YOUR HEAD

it's not too good to hold too many absolutes

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