So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if youprefer, begin it by reminding myself that, for me at least, goals and objectives are without value, andclose it by demonstrating that the fact is irrelevant. A gesture of temporality, a gesture of eternity. It isin the tension between these two gestures that I have lived my adult life.
John Barth The Floating Opera
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In "The Floating Opera," John Barth reflects on his daily routine, which embodies a juxtaposition of cynicism and faith. He starts his day by recognizing the futility of his goals and objectives, highlighting a sense of disillusionment. Yet, as the day draws to a close, he acts in a way that reaffirms his beliefs, revealing a tension between the transient nature of life and a sense of enduring meaning.

This duality captures the essence of Barth's adult experience, where he navigates between recognizing life's impermanence and aspiring towards something greater. Ultimately, his life is shaped by this interplay of skepticism and hope, demonstrating how one can acknowledge the absurdities of existence while still striving to find personal significance.

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The Floating Opera
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Other quotes in The Floating Opera

Am I boring you? I don't really care, I suppose, but I'll be more comfortable if I knew all this interested you. No doubt when I get the hang of storytelling, after a chapter or two, I'll go faster and digress less often.
John Barth The Floating Opera
Am I boring you? I don't really care, I suppose, but I'll be more comfortable if I knew all this interested you. No doubt when I get the hang of storytelling, after a chapter or two, I'll go faster and digress less often.
It has always seemed to me, in the few novels that I read about when, that they demand a lot from readers those authors who begin their stories furiously, in the middle of things, instead of entering, backing you or sbieco, gently.
John Barth The Floating Opera
It has always seemed to me, in the few novels that I read about when, that they demand a lot from readers those authors who begin their stories furiously, in the middle of things, instead of entering, backing you or sbieco, gently.
I long ago learned that one's illnesses are both pleasanter and more useful if one keeps their exact nature to himself: one's friends, uncertain as to the cause of one's queer behavior and strange sufferings, impute to one a mysteriousness often subtly convenient.
John Barth The Floating Opera
I long ago learned that one's illnesses are both pleasanter and more useful if one keeps their exact nature to himself: one's friends, uncertain as to the cause of one's queer behavior and strange sufferings, impute to one a mysteriousness often subtly convenient.
Intellectual discussion, after all, is the real joy of the winter of life, when other pleasures have flown, as it were.
John Barth The Floating Opera
Intellectual discussion, after all, is the real joy of the winter of life, when other pleasures have flown, as it were.
So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if youprefer, begin it by reminding myself that, for me at least, goals and objectives are without value, andclose it by demonstrating that the fact is irrelevant. A gesture of temporality, a gesture of eternity. It isin the tension between these two gestures that I have lived my adult life.
John Barth The Floating Opera
So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if youprefer, begin it by reminding myself that, for me at least, goals and objectives are without value, andclose it by demonstrating that the fact is irrelevant. A gesture of temporality, a gesture of eternity. It isin the tension between these two gestures that I have lived my adult life.
Although my law practice pays my hotel bill, I consider it no more my career than a hundred other things: sailing, drinking, walking the streets, writing my 'Inquirey', starting at walls hunting ducks and 'coons,reading, playing politics, and whatnot. I'm interested in any number of things, and enthusiastic about nothing.
John Barth The Floating Opera
Although my law practice pays my hotel bill, I consider it no more my career than a hundred other things: sailing, drinking, walking the streets, writing my 'Inquirey', starting at walls hunting ducks and 'coons,reading, playing politics, and whatnot. I'm interested in any number of things, and enthusiastic about nothing.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
For me the curse is a crutch, but the con is everything.
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For me the curse is a crutch, but the con is everything.
I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
Jim Butcher Grave Peril
I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of...
Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Maria V. Snyder Magic Study
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Dear Ijeawele, or A...
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
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