As human beings, we are always torn between individual freedom and the ability of choose our actions, and the need for at least enough social structure so that anarchy, chaos, and warlordery - or the war of all against all - can be avoided. Margaret Atwood More Quotes by Margaret Atwood More Quotes From Margaret Atwood Roughing it builds a boy's character, but only certain kinds of roughing it. Margaret Atwood kind character boys The weapons that were once outside sharpening themselves on war are now indoors there, in the fortress, fragile in glass cases; Why is it (I'm thinking of the careful moulding round the stonework archways) that in this time, such elaborate defences keep things that are no longer (much) worth defending? Margaret Atwood glasses war thinking Hunger is a powerful reorganizer of the conscience. Margaret Atwood hunger conscience powerful It is better to hope than to mope! Margaret Atwood hope Fear has a smell, as love does. Margaret Atwood smell fear doe I tend to feel if people say they're going to do something, they will, if given the chance. Margaret Atwood given chance people The heart with letters on it shining like a light bulb through the trim hole painted in the chest, art history. Margaret Atwood shining light art Falling in love, although it resulted in altered body chemistry and was therefore real, was a hormonally induced delusional state, according to him. In addition it was humiliating, because it put you at a disadvantage, it gave the love object too much power. As for sex per se, it lacked both challenge and novelty, and was on the whole a deeply imperfect solution to the problem of intergenerational genetic transfer. Margaret Atwood falling-in-love real sex Blank pages inspire me with terror. Margaret Atwood pages writing inspire Anaesthesia, that's one technique: if it hurts, invent a different pain. Margaret Atwood numbness pain hurt Winning intoxicates you, and numbs you to the sufferings of others. Margaret Atwood suffering-of-others numbness winning When I finally went to school I had to adjust to other girls and learn their fiendish ways. Having learnt them, I turned them on all and sundry. Margaret Atwood girl way school The fact is that blank pages inspire me with terror. What will I put on them? Will it be good enough? Will I have to throw it out? Margaret Atwood pages fear inspire There's nothing like drawing a thing to make you really see it. Margaret Atwood drawing art No matter how much you've been warned, Death always comes without knocking. Why now? is the cry. Why so soon? It's the cry of a child being called home at dusk. Margaret Atwood home death children Too much God and you overdose. God needs to be filtered. Margaret Atwood too-much god needs The truth, it seems, is not just what you find when you open a door: it is itself a door, which the poet is always on the verge of going through. Margaret Atwood poetry truth doors A movie about the past is not the same as the past. Margaret Atwood past Laughter may instruct but it may also conceal, defending the joker against anger and retaliation: a game is only a game. Margaret Atwood laughter games may Knowledge is power only as long as you keep your mouth shut. Margaret Atwood mouths long knowledge
