John Myles White: Die Sudelbücher

“Faith” means not wanting to know what is true.

Is the “not” placed best in that sentence? Or is it that “faith” means wanting to not know what is true? One placement indicates a conscious will to ignorance, the other simply the lack of real passion for truth. We might ask which is more prevalent in the world and which causes more trouble. To the surprise of many, I will say that it is actually the latter, which is the original sentence’s interpretation. Real hatred for truth almost seems admirable when the truth is considered so trivial by the vast majority — even by those who profess a love for it. Really, one should ask whether it is the truth that is loved or the stability it at times promises or some other factor that really is irrelevant to a thing being true.

How do you manipulate people? It can be done with a well-placed compliment — especially whenever one is about to say something difficult and questionable. Speak to people on their intelligence level, though it be far below your own. In general, do anything possible to avoid explicitly distancing yourself from them. There is no one in this world who will endure the truth from someone who does not indulge his vanity. That gods and prophets have been obeyed stems more from feelings of fear than from feelings of respect for open discourse.

There’s one nice thing about increasingly feeling that I don’t like most people: I just don’t care who I offend anymore. I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. And if I’m wrong? Oh well.

Sometimes an entire double language is required to say what you mean to those who can hear while the rest of the world goes on thinking you’ve said just the opposite.

The most beautiful things are those which overtly say one thing and imply what might seem just the opposite, but this implied message in fact is merely a very different note that as a sort of overtone creates beauty with the fullness it adds through a harmony so subtle as to seem hidden.

In social settings, the quality of a joke matters far less than the good mood and confidence with which it is made.

Yet another reason why being social is easier than many make it out to be and why it corrupts the quality of much that we do.

Someone once told me I was too analytical and that it was bad. But I’m a firm believer that analyticism establishes clever minds.

Poorly written sentence of the week award. Here, as in so many other times, the cause is that no one knows how or cares to use a dictionary. “Establishes” should not be used this way nor is “analyticism” the proper word.

John Myles White (22:14:26): Wow. You should have started shit for that.
Manny Fernandez (22:15:06): You’re god damn right I should have, but I was Willy Wonka and I didn’t want to break character. But if I had some gum that would make her sterile I would have given her some.

God, Manny has gotten damn funny lately.

My new project is going to be compiling what I’ll call the Myspace kiss of death list: phrases, words, interests and so on whose presence in a profile immediately removes you from my respect.

“I’m your typical” is a kiss of death, regardless of what comes after it. It amazes me that people will describe themselves as typical yet not as stupid. Then again, you would have to be someone really special to admit you’re stupid in public.

“I like to have fun” or “I like to have a good time”: both of the above spell instant death. You are blatantly stupid if you think that “liking to have fun” sets you apart from other people. What you probably mean is “I like to drink”, “I like to dance without rhythm because I’m so accursedly white” or “I behave like a slut, but don’t have the personal integrity to be a slut. I’m really just an annoying coquette.” (Note that slutting, regardless of gender, is at least honest.)

I’m starting to think the reason most people still have hope is because they don’t know much about history.