Quotes by Thinking There is a devilishly direct relationship between the significance of an idea and how nervous we become at the prospect of having to think about it. Alain de Botton nervousideasthinking .. if you asked most people whether they believed in love or not, they’d probably say they didn’t. Yet that’s not necessarily what they truly think. It’s just the way they defend themselves against what they want. They believe in it, but pretend they don’t until they’re allowed to. Most people would throw away all their cynicism if they could. The majority just never gets the chance. Alain de Botton believepeoplethinking Our disrespect for thinking: someone sitting in a chair, gazing out of a window blankly, always described as 'doing nothing'. Alain de Botton gazingdisrespectthinking It's hard loving those who don't much like themselves: "If you're so great, why would you think I'm so great. Alain de Botton self-hatredhardthinking Reputation matters so much only because people so seldom think for themselves. Alain de Botton matterpeoplethinking There are things that are not spoken about in polite society. Very quickly in most conversations you'll reach a moment where someone goes, 'Oh, that's a bit heavy,' or 'Eew, disgusting.' And literature is a place where that stuff goes; where people whisper to each other across books, the writer to the reader. I think that stops you feeling lonely – in the deeper sense, lonely. Alain de Botton lonelybookthinking The mind may be reluctant to think properly when thinking is all it is supposed to do; the task can be as paralysing as having to tell a joke or mimic an accent on demand. Alain de Botton tasksmindthinking What am I supposed to do here? What am I supposed to think? Alain de Botton thinking I think people want to get married to end their emotional uncertainty. In a way, they want to end powerful feelings, or certainly the negative ones. Alain de Botton emotionalpowerfulthinking There are people who say, 'Oh this guy is quite thick.' I think the reason is that, increasingly, I don't mind being simple in terms of literary expression. Others say, 'No, no, no. He went to Cambridge. He got a good degree. He must be Einstein.' Alain de Botton simpleexpressionthinking We are certainly influenced by role models, and if we are surrounded by images of beautiful rich people, we will start to think that to be beautiful and rich is very important - just as in the Middle Ages, people were surrounded by images of religious piety. Alain de Botton religiousbeautifulthinking Most good thinking has its origin in fear. Alain de Botton good-thinkingthinking The most unbearable thing about many successful people is not - as we flatteringly think - how lazy they are, but how hard they work. Alain de Botton successfulpeoplethinking We accept the need to train extensively to fly a plane; but think instinct should be enough for marrying and raising kids. Alain de Botton kidsneedsthinking For paranoia about 'what other people think' : remember that only some hate, a very few love - and almost all just don't care. Alain de Botton hatepeoplethinking According to one influential wing of modern secular society there are few more disreputable fates than to end up being 'like everyone else' for 'everyone else' is a category that comprises the mediocre and the conformist, the boring and the suburban. The goal of all right-thinking people should be to mark themselves off from the crowd and 'stand out' in whatever way their talents allow. Alain de Botton secular-societyfatethinking As an atheist, I think there are lots of things religions get up to which are of value to non-believers - and one of those things is trying to be a bit better than we normally manage to be. Alain de Botton atheisttryingthinking I have a very modern way of thinking; the chef is there to lead the team and not just to sit behind the piano. Alain Ducasse pianoteamthinking Without going to what I think is my limit. I always say that my ideal is to get pole with the minimum effort, and to win the race at the slowest speed possible. Alain Prost racewinningthinking Sometimes I think I could have got some better results if I had a different mentality; if I could have pushed hard and attacked. But then I would have had a good chance of making a mistake. Alain Prost differentmistakethinking«6162636465666768697071»
