Behavior shapes emotions. A. J. Jacobs More Quotes by A. J. Jacobs More Quotes From A. J. Jacobs When I was with the serpent-handlers in Tennessee, it was the most bizarre method of worship I could think of. Yet when you sit with these people, you can kind of see how it makes sense. A. J. Jacobs tennesseepeoplethinking I'm all for cafeteria religion. I think there's nothing wrong with cafeterias - I've had some great meals at cafeterias. I've also had some horrible meals, so it's important to pick the right things. Take a heaping helping of compassion and mercy, and leave the intolerance on the table. A. J. Jacobs importantcompassionthinking Behavior shapes beliefs. A. J. Jacobs shapesbehaviorbelief I thought religion would eventually wither away and we'd all be worshiping at the altar of science. A. J. Jacobs altars It's hard to be in a bad mood when you're walking around looking like you're about to play the semifinals at Wimbledon. A. J. Jacobs wimbledonbad-moodplay There's a lot of food restriction in the Bible, but it does say you're allowed to eat crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts. I decided to take advantage of that and eat a cricket. It was chocolate-covered, and I'm not sure that's the way they were served in Moses' time. But this was a rule that seemed crazy on the outside, then actually turned out to be pragmatic and compassionate. A. J. Jacobs chocolatecrazydoe After a while, if you're committed, you start to believe in the things in which you're praying. It's just cognitive dissonance. You can't live a completely religious life and not start to have it sink in. A. J. Jacobs cognitive-dissonancereligiousbelieve I don't believe that prayers actually change God's mind - if there is a God - but I liked praying for people in need. It was like moral weightlifting. I tend to be self-obsessed, and it was nice to get out of my brain once in a while. A. J. Jacobs niceprayerbelieve I grew up in a very secular home with no religion at all, so I was starting from zero. A. J. Jacobs grew-upzerohome I found there were things about religion that I really loved; things like the sense of gratefulness that it brings. A. J. Jacobs gratefulnessfound I love to live things, so I wanted to immerse myself and get into the mindset - and sandals - of my forefathers. A. J. Jacobs sandalsmindsetwanted Since I was relatively new to the Bible, I was surprised by the Old Testament God. He's wrathful, but at other times, He's incredibly compassionate. He's not a one-dimensional figure at all. A. J. Jacobs compassionatefiguresold-testament One of the interesting things to me is that God grows throughout the Old Testament. He evolves, sort of matures, and becomes kinder. A. J. Jacobs evolveold-testamentinteresting Taking the Bible too literally is a mistake. It should be read as a guidebook of wisdom and insight. A. J. Jacobs insightshouldmistake I prefer the earlier birth control techniques, which ranged from the delicious (using honey as a spermicide) to the aerobic (jumping backward seven times after coitus). A. J. Jacobs birth-controltechniquejumping I have little shame, no dignity – all in the name of a better cause. A. J. Jacobs causesnameslittles If my former self and my current self met for coffee, they'd get along OK, but they'd both probably walk out of the Starbucks shaking their heads and saying to themselves, “That guy is kinda delusional.†A. J. Jacobs coffeeguyself More people die on a per mile basis from drunk walking than from drunk driving. A. J. Jacobs motivationinspirationpeople A loud noise will get your fight-or-flight response going. This, over the years, can cause real cardiovascular damage. A. J. Jacobs fightingrealyears Giulia Melucci has written a wonderfully funny and moving book. It's like Eat, Pray, Love, with recipes. A. J. Jacobs recipesbookmoving
