Asklemmy

This line from Schindler's List always stuck with me:

“Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.”

The context is that at the end of the movie Schindler is distraught thinking of how many more he could have saved if he just did certain things differently, like selling a ring and using that money to hire another Jewish worker. One of the people he saved tells him the above line.

It's stuck with me for two reasons, I think.

First, it's an interesting perspective on individuality. Each person has their own unique perspective of the world. When that person dies, that perspective is gone forever. An entire universe dies with them, never to be seen again. I think that's a powerful way to view the individual.

Second, it's a reminder that we do what we can, and while it may be imperfect, it's enough. You can't save everyone, just live well and help those you can in the capacity that you can. If you save one of those people, you've saved the world.

There's no room on Mars for limp dicks.

It's a quote for a horrible 90s indie film that's always struck with me for some reason. My social group and I have since taken this quote as an absolute/truism that gets referenced whenever a situation calls for absolute certainty. Because as we all know, there's no room on Mars for limp dicks.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..n..n.. we can’t get fooled again. — GWB

“Don’t regret. Remember.” From the movie “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” Changed how I think about a lot of the events in my past. The director said that fans have come up to her and shown her tattoos of that line, so it’s not just me.

'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.' - Maya Angelou

May the bridges I burn light the way.

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me

A teacher of mine once said:"I can't understand, why a person needs a ton, to move itself."

20 years later I found r/fuckcars.

A little cheesy, but in middle school we read this essay called “Give!” By Anne Frank

How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment; we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straight away

Her excitement is what always stuck with me

Decide what you're gonna do before you do it.

When I was like 8, a liftee at my local ski hill told me that as I dangled from the chairlift about 5 feet off the ground because I waffled getting on the lift.

Sometimes the good you do, doesn’t do you any good.

"Live on, survive, for the Earth gives forth wonders. It may swallow your heart, but the wonders keep on coming. You stand before them bareheaded, shriven. What is expected of you is attention."

Salman Rushdie, from The Ground Beneath Her Feet.

A more recent one, meditation-related, short and simple and I have no idea who said it, I just happened to catch it a couple of years ago on a website-that-shall-not-be-named:

"I am not my thoughts."

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler"

The future is no place to place your better days.

Only dead fish go with the current

Misery isn’t a currency. (this applies to when you make yourself suffer with sadness as a way to buy yourself out of guilt)

This was told to my by my best friend over 30 years ago, he passed away on Thursday.

We suffer more in imagination than reality

My grandfather used to tell me: "What I know is that I know nothing". He used to tell me that even in his old age, he was still amazed by the things he discovered, just like a child. That taught me to always be humble and to understand the point of view of others and to always learn in life. So I will always remember this quote.

“When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all”. -God (futurama)

This little quote helps make me thorough in my work

You brush at night to keep your teeth.

You brush in the morning to keep your friends.

When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn! How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: Sit — down — and — talk!

Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got."

Usually comes to mind when people are waiting around for others to solve their problems for them.

If you hide your whole life, you'll forget who you are.

This too shall pass.

"Get to the Choppa"

Don't hold grudges. While you're holding a grudge, the other guy's out dancing.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

"Never underestimate the power of denial."

― Ricky Fitts (American Beauty)

I now constantly test myself to see if I'm overlooking the truth. Refusal to admit reality or refusal to acknowledge an unpleasant truth can ultimately hold you back.

I heard one once that goes like "a fool does what he hates, a wise man does what he loves, but a great man learns to love what is necessary."
I think I am butchering the original phrasing which is probably why I can't find any source for this quote. But I think about it a lot.

"Be Better", a college professor/mentor always aid that to me. Whenever I think about taking the easy way or the shortest way I just say "Be Better" and then do the right thing.

"The name's Bond, James Bond". Because of that quote, I have never failed to remember James Bond's name.

“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Theres two -

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" - Dr. Seuss

And a recent one - "Your life starts where your comfort zone ends"

I have two that keep finding their way to be relevant. "smooth seas never made a skilled sailor" and "dont break anything you cant fix"

"You wouldn't worry what other people thought of you if you knew how seldom they did" ... good for those awkward teenage years. Conversely, it also highlights the value of receiving and giving attention.

"it's just work" --a buddy of mine

helps me every time I'm about to take something personal at work or am annoyed about processes.

How many ages hence shall this our lofty scene be acted over, in states unborn and accents yet unknown?

Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3, scene 1.

But ... I first encountered this line in the shooter game Silpheed on the Apple IIgs, long before I'd read any Shakespeare.

Time is the most expensive currency. You will never ever get back the time spent. So spend it wisely.

“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” - unsure of who first said it

“I am a GOLDEN GOD!” - Almost Famous

God gives his silliest battles to his funniest clowns

“One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny.”

• Bertrand Russell