I’m horrified to admit that I just love Salinger. I was devastated to find out that other people feel the same way.
Possessions can be, and most often are, a distraction from the real work of a knight’s life. A lion doesn’t own anything at all, yet we all know his power.
Expect nothing, and you will enjoy everything!
Remember, a friend does not need you to impress him. A friend loves you because you are true to yourself, not because you agree with him. Beware of grand gestures; the real mettle of friendship is forged in life’s daily workings.
A knight sets out to illuminate the darkness in society, not from its leaves but from its roots. This is how justice will be realized. Find the source.
Look at this cup,” he said, pointing to the other small blue ceramic cup still sitting on the white tablecloth. “It is not overanxious to be filled. It sits patient, unmoving, and empty.” Carefully, he poured a small amount of tea into that cup. “You must be like this,” he stated with a mischievous grin, gesturing to the steam gently rising from the second blue cup. “Answers to your questions will come, but if you are not still and empty, you will never be able to retain anything.
Pride. Never pretend you are not a knight of attempt to diminish yourself because you deem it will make others more comfortable. We show others the most respect by offering the best of ourselves.
It is the fact that time is passing that creates its preciousness.
Don’t fear suffering. The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire. The facts are always friendly. Without a little agony, none of us would bother to learn a thing. The earth has to be tilled before the seeds can be planted.
I personally don’t think grand gestures are actually romantic. The most romantic moments of my life have been so subtle and small. A snowstorm breakfast, a walk, an accidental meeting. Whenever you start planning these grand things, ‘I’m gonna pick the great flower from the top of Mt. Everest’, you’re already losing. You’re trying too hard.
Jealousy, fear, and anger are all obstacles to a knight’s first goal: a clear mind.
Grace is the ability to accept change. Be open and supple; the brittle break.
Arrogance is born of insecurity. Pride is different. It is born of dignity, self-worth, and self-respect. We all see the world through the prism of our identity. If our self-worth is low, it affects everything we do. The point of life is to contribute to others, but without a certain self-regard, it is sometimes difficult to make breakfast.
Oddly, with discipline, structure, and order, you will find freedom, anything is possible. Without it, locating your saddle may take all morning.
Hello, you’ve reached the winter of our discontent.
I want to want to try to never waste energy degrading someone else. Also, I want to try not to see life as a competition.
Justice. There is only one thing for which a knight has no patience: injustice. Every true knight fights for human dignity at all times.
I do not want you children to use my untimely death, or any setback that life may deliver, as an excuse not to take responsibility for yourselves.
Often we imagine that we will work hard... arrive at some distant goal, and then we will be happy. This is a delusion. Happiness is the result of a life lived with purpose. Happiness is not an objective. It is the movement of life itself, a process, an activity.
To head north, a knight may use the North Star to guide him, but he will not arrive at the North Star. A knight’s duty is to proceed in that direction.
Those who cannot easily forgive will not collect many friends. Look for the best in others and yourself.