The best joke-tellers are those who have the patience to wait for conversation to come around to the point where the jokes in their repertoire have application. Joseph Epstein More Quotes by Joseph Epstein More Quotes From Joseph Epstein All men and women are born, live, suffer and die; what distinguishes us one from another is our dreams, whether they be dreams about worldly or unworldly things, and what we do to make them come about... We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time and conditions of our death. But within this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we live. Joseph Epstein dream inspirational life Not to like ice cream is to show oneself uninterested in food. Joseph Epstein icy ice-cream shows We do not choose to be born.We do not--most of us, choose to die, or the times or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we shall live--Courageously or in cowardice, Honorably or dishonorably, With purpose or adrift. We decide what is important and what is trivial. What makes us significant is what we DO, Or REFUSE TO DO. WE DECIDE and WE CHOOSE--and so we give definition to our lives. Joseph Epstein adrift important giving Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all. Joseph Epstein envy sin fun What distinguishes us one from another is our dreams, and what we do to make them come about. Joseph Epstein individual-differences dream inspirational For me writing is foremost a mode of thinking and when it works well, an act of discovery Joseph Epstein writing discovery thinking A cat is the only domestic animal I know who toilet trains itself and does a damned impressive job of it. Joseph Epstein cat animal jobs We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents, or the country of our birth. Joseph Epstein birth parent country What all great teachers appear to have in common is love of their subject, an obvious satisfaction in rousing this love in their students, and an ability to convince them that what they are being taught is deadly serious Joseph Epstein satisfaction teaching teacher Within this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we live. Joseph Epstein adrift realms inspirational In recompense, envy may be the subtlest - perhaps I should say the most insidious - of the seven deadly sins. Joseph Epstein envy sin may I myself think anti-Semitism is about envy. Joseph Epstein envy anti-semitism thinking That wine drinking is more effete than beer drinking? No question. Joseph Epstein wine drinking beer I just know so many people who have six or seven foreign languages and have read everything and have musical training and they are still dorks Joseph Epstein training musical people We use books like mirrors, gazing into them only to discover ourselves. Joseph Epstein gazing mirrors book No nostalgia runs deeper than that for something one has never known and now cannot obtain. Joseph Epstein deeper nostalgia running I was recently asked what it takes to become a writer. Three things, I answered: first, one must cultivate incompetence at almost every other form of profitable work. This must be accompanied, second, by a haughty contempt for all the forms of work that one has established one cannot do. To these two must be joined, third, the nuttiness to believe that other people can be made to care about your opinions and views and be charmed by the way you state them. Incompetence, contempt, lunacy—once you have these in place, you are set to go. Joseph Epstein views two believe While reading writers of great formulatory power — Henry James, Santayana, Proust — I find I can scarcely get through a page without having to stop to record some lapidary sentence. Reading Henry James, for example, I have muttered to myself, "C’mon, Henry, turn down the brilliance a notch, so I can get some reading done." I may be one of a very small number of people who have developed writer’s cramp while reading. Joseph Epstein reading numbers people I think the story is my form. Joseph Epstein form stories thinking The problem for me is that reading is, I won't say a sacred, but nevertheless a pretty serious act. Joseph Epstein sacred serious reading
