Hope

Passages

Every passage tagged with this emotion in the Vela corpus. Search the body text, narrow by source or register, click through to a book’s profile to see how the passage sits with the rest of the work.

Page 169 of 216 · 20 per page

• From The Principles of Psychology (Volume 1 of 2) (1890)

  A few words, however, may be permitted about the logic of the question. The most that any argument can do for determinism is to make it a clear and seductive conception, which a man is foolish not to espouse, so long as he stands by the great scientific postulate that the world must be one unbroken fact, and that prediction of all things without exception must be ideally, even if not actually, possible. It is a moral postulate about the Universe, the postulate that what ought to be can be, and that bad acts cannot be fated, but that good ones must be possible in their place, which would lead one to espouse the contrary view. But when scientific and moral postulates war thus with each other and objective proof is not to be had, the only course is voluntary choice, for scepticism itself, if systematic, is also voluntary choice. If, meanwhile, the will be undetermined, it would seem only fitting that the belief in its indetermination should be voluntarily chosen from amongst other possible beliefs. Freedom's first deed should be to affirm itself. We ought never to hope for any other method of getting at the truth if indeterminism be a fact. Doubt of this particular truth will therefore probably be open to us to the end of time, and the utmost that a believer in free-will can ever do will be to show that the deterministic arguments are not coercive. That they are seductive, I am the last to deny; nor do I deny that effort may be needed to keep the faith in freedom, when they press upon it, upright in the mind.

• From A Sexplanation (2021)

  -How do you negotiate boundaries? How do you negotiate pleasure? How do you negotiate consent? -The first time you touch a condom should not be the day that you're using it for sex. It should be the day when you're like making it into a water balloon or putting it on your door knob and freaking out your sister. And you should be getting used to it, like get comfortable with it. That's the educational principle. Preload them with the information so that years from now when they need it, they're great at it. [Alex] But in America, comprehensive sex ed still meets a lot of resistance. -They should stay out of sex, that belongs to the family. -It is sickening, it is corrupt, it is graphic and moral offenses. -It's indoctrination, it is not education. [Protestors] Protect our kids! Protect our kids! [Alex] This resistance means that in 2020, only 17 states require sex education be medically accurate. Only 11 states plus D.C. require sex ed teach that queer people are normal, while seven states actually require teaching homosexuality is bad. And only 20 states plus D.C. require teaching about birth control compared to 31 states that require stressing abstinence or the importance of sex within marriage. The end result? People like me who feel so tortured about their sexuality they feel compelled to make a documentary about it. [Alex] But there are glimmers of hope. Even in Utah, the Mormon epicenter, organizations such as Planned Parenthood are stepping up to teach what their state won't. While you might know them as America's largest abortion provider, they do a lot more. -We do more to prevent abortion than probably anyone else in the state of Utah. We do over 100,000 birth control visits a year. We have education, which is how we give people the information and the skills to help people prevent abortion and have the families that want to have. To me, it's a basic human right that people understand how their bodies work. As a woman and as somebody who could experience a pregnancy, which is a major life health event, I feel strongly that the decisions about that are mine. And I feel strongly that basic education so that I can manage that the way I want to is essential to me being equal or being fully human. [Alex] To see their work in action, I went with Annabel to a session of the INclued program, a youth-led comprehensive sex ed course. They started by checking in about their weeks. Typical high school stuff. -Today I took a physics test, which I think I did well on, but who knows, it's physics. -So like drumming is going well. Homework is going well. -71 more days of school, 71 more of school, then I'm done and I'm out. [Alex] What didn't feel like high school...

• From The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feeling, and the Making of Cultures (2018)

  An Unresolved ClashTroubled but hopeful or troubled and hopeless, it is not possible to decide which of the two scenarios is most likely to pass. There are simply too many unknowns, and the ultimate consequences of digital communication, artificial intelligence, robotics, and cyber warfare hold an especially wild card. Science and technology can be used with great advantage to enhance our future—their potential remains extraordinary—or they can spell our doom. In the meantime, one’s preference for the first or second scenario has a lot to do with one’s sunny or dark disposition. The problem is that even one’s typical disposition tends to flicker between light and dark when it comes to so much trouble and uncertainty. Meanwhile, we can approach the problem with equanimity and conclude as follows. The human condition encompasses two worlds. One world is made up of the nature-given rules of life regulation, the strings of which are pulled by the invisible hands of pain and pleasure. We are not conscious of the rules or of their undergirding; we are only conscious of certain outcomes we call pain or pleasure. We had nothing to do with the making of the rules—nor, for that matter, with the existence of the powerful forces of pain and pleasure—and we cannot modify them any more than we can change the movements of the stars or prevent earthquakes. We also had nothing to do with the way natural selection has operated for eons to build the apparatus of affect that in good part governs our social and individual lives on the grounds of limiting pain and enhancing pleasure, largely at the individual level, with only partial consideration for other individuals, even for those who are part of the in-group. There is, however, another world. We could and did work around the conditions imposed on us by inventing cultural forms of life management to complement the basic variety. The result was the discoveries we continue making about universes within and around us and our extraordinary ability to accumulate knowledge in both internal memory and external records. Here the situation is different. We can reflect on the knowledge, think through it, manipulate it intelligently, and invent all sorts of responses to nature’s rules. On occasion, our knowledge, which includes, ironically, the discovery of life regulation rules that we cannot modify, lets us do something about the cards we have been dealt. Cultures and civilizations are the names we give to the cumulative results of these efforts.

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  The liberation we’ve all talked so much about, which still seems too good, too much of a fairy tale ever to come true? Will this year, 1944, bring us victory? We don’t know yet. But where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again. We’ll need to be brave to endure the many fears and hardships and the suffering yet to come. It’s now a matter of remaining calm and steadfast, of gritting our teeth and keeping a stiff upper lip! France, Russia, Italy, and even Germany, can cry out in agony, but we don’t yet have that right! Oh, Kitty, the best part about the invasion is that I have the feeling that friends are on the way. Those terrible Germans have oppressed and threatened us for so long that the thought of friends and salvation means everything to us! Now it’s not just the Jews, but Holland and all of occupied Europe. Maybe, Margot says, I can even go back to school in October or September. Yours, Anne M. Frank P.S. I’ll keep you informed of the latest news! This morning and last night, dummies made of straw and rubber were dropped from the air behind German lines, and they exploded the minute they hit the ground. Many paratroopers, their faces blackened so they couldn’t be seen in the dark, landed as well. The French coast was bombarded with 5,500 tons of bombs during the night, and then, at six in the morning, the first landing craft came ashore. Today there were 20,000 airplanes in action. The German coastal batteries were destroyed even before the landing; a small bridgehead has already been formed. Everything’s going well, despite the bad weather. The army and the people are “one will and one hope.” FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1944 Dearest Kitty, Great news of the invasion! The Allies have taken Bayeux, a village on the coast of France, and are now fighting for Caen. They’re clearly intending to cut off the peninsula where Cherbourg is located. Every evening the war correspondents report on the difficulties, the courage and the fighting spirit of the army. To get their stories, they pull off the most amazing feats. A few of the wounded who are already back in England also spoke on the radio. Despite the miserable weather, the planes are flying dthgently back and forth. We heard over the BBC that Churchill wanted to land along with the troops on D Day, but Eisenhower and the other generals managed to talk him out of it. Just imagine, so much courage for such an old man he must be at least seventy! The excitement here has died down somewhat; still, we’re all hoping that the war will finally be over by the end of the year. It’s about time! Mrs. van Daan’s constant griping is unbearable; now that she can no longer drive us crazy with the invasion, she moans and groans all day about the bad weather.

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  FRITZ PFEFFER (born April 30, 1889, in Giessen, Germany): Called by Anne, in her manuscript and in the book: Alfred Dussel. The reader may wish to bear in mind that much of this edition is based on the b version of Anne’s diary, which she wrote when she was around fifteen years old. Occasionally, Anne went back and commented on a passage she had written earlier. These comments are clearly marked in this edition. Naturally, Anne’s spelling and linguistic errors have been corrected. Otherwise, the text has basically been left as she wrote it, since any attempts at editing and clarification would be inappropriate in a historical document. -- : -- I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support. -- : -- JUNE 12, 1942 I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support. COMMENT ADDED BY ANNE ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1942: So far you truly have been a areat source of comfort to me, and so has Kitty, whom I now write to regularly. This way of keeping a diary is much nicer, and now I can hardly wait for those moments when I’m able to write in you. Oh, I’m so alad I brought you along! SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 1942 I’ll begin from the moment I got you, the moment I saw you lying on the table among my other birthday presents. (I went along when you were bought, but that doesn’t count.) On Friday, June 12, I was awake at six o’clock, which isn’t surprising, since it was my birthday. But I’m not allowed to get up at that hour, so I had to control my curiosity until quarter to seven. When I couldn’t wait any longer, I went to the dining room, where Moortje (the cat) welcomed me by rubbing against my legs. A little after seven I went to Daddy and Mama and then to the living room to open my presents, and you were the first thing I saw, maybe one of my nicest presents. Then a bouquet of roses, some peonies and a potted plant. From Daddy and Mama I got a blue blouse, a game, a bottle of grape juice, which to my mind tastes a bit like wine (after all, wine is made from grapes), a puzzle, a jar of cold cream, 2.50 guilders and a gift certificate for two books. I got another book as well, Camera Obscura (but Margot already has it, so I exchanged mine for something else), a platter of homemade cookies (which I made myself, of course, since I’ve become quite an expert at baking cookies), lots of candy and a strawberry tart from Mother.

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  He’s torn between having an operation and letting matters take their course. Yours, Anne M. Frank TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1944 My dearest Kitty, The mood has changed, everything’s going enormously well. Cherbourg, Vitebsk and Zhlobin fell today. They’re sure to have captured lots of men and equipment. Five German generals were killed near Cherbourg and two taken captive. Now that they’ve got a harbor, the British can bring whatever they want on shore. The whole Cotentin Peninsula has been captured just three weeks after the invasion! What a feat! In the three weeks since D Day there hasn’t been a day without rain and storms, neither here nor in France, but this bad luck hasn’t kept the British and the Americans from displaying their might. And how! Of course, the Germans have launched their wonder weapon, but a little firecracker like that won’t hardly make a dent, except maybe minor damage in England and screaming headlines in the Kraut newspapers. Anyway, when they realize in “Krautland” that the Bolsheviks really are getting closer, they’ll be shaking in their boots. All German women who aren’t working for the military are being evacuated, together with their children, from the coastal regions to the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Gelderland. Mussert* [* The leader of the Dutch National Socialist (Nazi) Party] has announced that if the invasion reaches Holland, he’ll enlist. Is that fat pig planning to fight? He could have done that in Russia long before now. Finland turned down a peace offer some time ago, and now the negotiations have been broken off again. Those numbskulls, they’ll be sorry! How far do you think we’ll be on July 27? Yours, Anne M. Frank FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1944 Dearest Kitty, Bad weather from one at a stretch to the thirty June* [Anne’s English.] Don’t I say that well? Oh yes, I already know a little English; just to prove it I’m reading An Ideal Husband with the help of a dictionary! War’s going wonderfully: Bobruysk, Mogilev and Orsha have fallen, lots of prisoners. Everything’s all right here. Spirits are improving, our superoptimists are triumphant, the van Daans are doing disappearing acts with the sugar, Bep’ s changed her hair, and Miep has a week off. That’s the latest news! I’ve been having really ghastly root-canal work done on one of my front teeth. It’s been terribly painful. It was so bad Dussel thought I was going to faint, and I nearly did. Mrs. van D. promptly got a toothache as well! Yours, Anne M. Frank P.S. We’ve heard from Basel that Bernd* [Cousin Bernhard (Buddy) Elias]. played the part of the innkeeper in Minna von Barnhelm. He has “artistic leanings,” says Mother. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1944 Dearest Kitty, My blood runs cold when Peter talks about becoming a criminal or a speculator; of course, he’s joking, but I still have the feeling he’s afraid of his own weakness.

• From Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (1989)

  32 Culture is what can replace religion, and must do so if the declin e of belief is not to have impoverishing consequences. A rnold is exploring here a third path, neither faith in G o d of a normally r e cogniz ed kind n o r scientistic agnosticism. It is an aspiration towards w holen ess, towards a fulness of joy where desire is fused with our sense of t he deepest significance. Its source is the Rom a ntic ideal of self-completio n t hrough art. One way of drawing the ma p of possible moral sources in our d ay is to see it as divided between these three domains. These are the a lte rn at ives which are usually i n tensio n, influencing each other and making e a ch ot her pr oblematic. But great power accrues to a philoso phy which can cl ai m p lausibly t o unite two of the three; this has been one reason for the i m m ens e dra wing power of Marxism ov er the last century. I n one i nte rp reta tion at least, it seems to combine scientistic materialism with the 4Io • SUBTLER LANGUAGES as piration to expressive wholeness. 3 3 This mixture exercise s a tremendo u s attraction. 22.3 I w ant t o return now to t h e question which sent me o f f i nto the long excursu s on the nineteenth century and the crisis of faith: What underlies our sense of historical exceptionalism, that we recognize and can meet very strin ge n t de mands of universal justice and benevolence? Not surprisingly, the possib le answers to this question can be at least loosely fitted onto the tripartite "map" of moral sources which we have inherited from the nineteenth century. The original r oot of the de ma nd that we seek universal justice an d well-being is of course our Judaeo-Christian religious tradition. In broad terms, this is obvious, and I have been tracin g some of the more detailed connections in the p receding pages. The orthodox Christian understanding of this universal concern is agape, or 'charity'; and the answer to the question of what makes it possible is grace. This may not be linked to any exceptionalist view of a society, since nothin g guara ntees that wh ole societies will be transformed by grace. Christianity has always had a very ambivalent relationship to the societies in which it has existed, and the very concept of Christendom is fraught with theological tension.

• From A Sexplanation (2021)

  Your homework assignment leaving here is to have 200 one-minute conversations with each other. So with that, could each adult turn to their girl and share what they most hope for them as they go through puberty. [Alex] The script that we're given is like, you need to sit your kids down and have the talk and then you're done, right? -Yeah. -And you kind of frame it a different way. -Well, I'm a developmentalist. In other words, I think that sex ed can happen all throughout your age. It can happen at 60, it can happen in your 40s, can happen at two years old, four years old. But the language, the structure and what you're taking on for content looks different. We don't wait for people to say, I'm ready for algebra. We introduce that when they're developmentally ready to take on algebra. And I think some parents don't like to think of their kids as sexual at all. Lots of times a parent will come up and say, "I don't think my daughter's ready." And I'm looking at the daughter like, she's been taking notes, you know? It's you that's not ready. But you can have a talk at two about body parts. You could have a talk at six about taking care of your body, like brushing your teeth. You can have, those are all really sexual ideas. How do you take care of your body? What is your body parts, what do we call it? Where are you naked, what is privacy, what is intimacy? Who do you hug, who do you not hug? What is consent? You can have a conversation with a six year old about those things. You may not say penis, vagina, sexual intercourse right then, or you might. But I think it's part of this idea of a talk, well, when? Always. [Alex] Always have the talk. As I looked out into the sea of families, I couldn't help but think, good for them. Good for these little kids for getting the right information so they don't panic when they get their first period or erection. And good for these parents for normalizing dialogue about bodies and growing up, ultimately strengthening their relationships with their kids. Good for them. But what about me? My parents weren't equipped to prep me for my first wet dream or sex, or even an erection. They are waiting for me to come to them which just led to years of silence. And now I know how silence keeps shame alive. So if they were really waiting for me to come to them, maybe I should take them up on their offer. But where do I start? -What's your goal? -I think at the beginning, I was in a much more blamey space. -Yeah. -And now I definitely feel like people were just in a place that they were. -Yeah. -There's no blame.

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  Frank MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1944 New problems in the Annex. A quarrel between Dussel and the Franks over the division of butter. Capitulation on the part of Dussel. Close friendship between the latter and Mrs. van Daan, flirtations, kisses and friendly little smiles. Dussel is beginning to long for female companionship. The van Daans don’t see why we should bake a spice cake for Mr. Kugler’s birthday when we can’t have one ourselves. All very petty. Mood upstairs: bad. Mrs. van D. has a cold. Dussel caught with brewer’s yeast tablets, while we’ve got none. The Fifth Army has taken Rome. The city neither destroyed nor bombed. Great propaganda for Hitler. Very few potatoes and vegetables. One loaf of bread was moldy. Scharminkeltje (name of new warehouse cat) can’t stand pepper. She sleeps in the cat box and does her business in the wood shavings. Impossible to keep her. Bad weather. Continuous bombing of Pas de Calais and the west coast of France. No one buying dollars. Gold even less interesting. The bottom of our black moneybox is in sight. What are we going to live on next month? Yours, Anne M. Frank TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944 My dearest Kitty, “This is D Day,” the BBC announced at twelve. “This is the day.” The invasion has begun! This morning at eight the British reported heavy bombing of Calais, Boulogne, Le Havre and Cherbourg, as well as Pas de Calais (as usual). Further, as a precautionary measure for those in the occupied territories, everyone living within a zone of twenty miles from the coast was warned to prepare for bombardments. Where possible, the British will drop pamphlets an hour ahead of time. According to the German news, British paratroopers have landed on the coast of France. “British landing craft are engaged in combat with German naval units,” according to the BBC. Conclusion reached by the Annex while breakfasting at nine: this is a trial landing, like the one two years ago in Dieppe. BBC broadcast in German, Dutch, French and other languages at ten: The invasion has begun! So this is the “real” invasion. BBC broadcast in German at eleven: speech by Supreme Commander General Dwight Eisenhower. BBC broadcast in English: “This is 0 Day.” General Eisenhower said to the French people: “Stiff fighting will come now, but after this the victory. The year 1944 is the year of complete victory. Good luck!” BBC broadcast in English at one: 11,000 planes are shuttling back and forth or standing by to land troops and bomb behind enemy lines; 4,000 landing craft and small boats are continually arriving in the area between Cher-bourg and Le Havre. English and American troops are already engaged in heavy combat. Speeches by Gerbrandy, the Prime Minister of Belgium, King Haakon of Norway, de Gaulle of France, the King of England and, last but not least, Churchill. A huge commotion in the Annex! Is this really the beginning of the long-awaited liberation?

• From The Erotic Mind (1995)

  On the other side of uncertainty lies hope, an essential ingredient in the chemistry of limerence. Without it doubt turns to despair, and despair usually chokes off limerence. And so again we see the interplay, the dance, the dynamism of the erotic equation. Tennov says that “reason to hope combined with reason to doubt keeps passion at a fever pitch.”13 EMBRACING THE PARADOXICAL PERSPECTIVEThe erotic equation is the foundation for the paradoxical view of erotic life. Obviously, it is not a recipe for terrific sex. It does not predict whom you will find attractive. Nor does it tell you when, how, or which obstacles will heighten your erotic interest. It does remind you of something you’ve no doubt realized all along: sexual fulfillment is not a straight line from desire to gratification, but is inevitably shaped by struggles, differences, and hazards. I’m sure you’ve already been contemplating the interplay of attraction and obstacles in your own peak turn-ons. If you’ve been jotting down your most memorable encounters and fantasies, now is the time to begin looking at them from the perspective of the erotic equation. First, take note of whatever attracted you to each real-life or fantasy partner. Consider obvious factors such as body type or facial features but also notice which personality traits added to your desire. In what way was he or she similar to you—or different? If you had little or no actual knowledge of the person, what did you imagine he or she was like? What is it about that fantasy that turned you on? If you answer these questions about several different people who have triggered erotic responses in the past, perhaps you will notice recurring patterns and preferences. Now consider what obstacles added an extra measure of intensity to your peak turn-ons. Were there subtle or obvious barriers between you and the object of your desire? Do you seem to prefer one type of obstacle more than others? These questions do not demand immediate or definitive answers. They are simply guides to sharpen your observational skills, to help illuminate dimensions of the erotic that might otherwise elude you. Taking time to contemplate how the erotic equation has worked in your life will be particularly valuable as we turn our attention to especially potent obstacles that are fundamental aspects of the human drama. You undoubtedly first encountered them as a small child. And some of them have left an indelible mark on your adult eroticism. 3FOUR CORNERSTONES OF EROTICISMThe universal challenges of early life provide the building blocks for adult arousal.

• From Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (1989)

  4 5 Th e millenarist scenario describes a moment of crisis, one in which acute c o nflict is about to break out, one in which the world is polarized as never b e fore between good and evil. It is a moment in which the suffering and tr ib ulation of the good dramatically increases. But at the same time, it pro mises an unprecedented victory over evil, and hence a new age of sanctity a n d happiness unparalleled in history. The sources of this scenario, of course, lie deep in the religious tradition o f Judaism and Christianity, and in the messianic expectations which have a lways been harboured there. They take shape in mediaeval Europe from time to time and define a consciousness of crisis and revolt, and an e xpectation of radical new beginnings. Nor does this end with the Middle Ages. Millenarist expectations also played a role in the Reformation-in the r evolt a t Munster in the 15 3o's, for instance. They came again to the fore among some of the participants in the English Civil War. The Fifth Monarchy men were defining themselves according to another biblical prophecy, from the Book of Daniel: the reign of God succeeds that of the world empires. What we see in the French Revolution is something like the same framework of expectations, but for the first time secularized. Once again, t he picture is of a crisis, brought about by an unprecedented polarization between t he forces o f good and evil, building up to a decisive conflict, which will usher in an era of unprecedented good. In the short term, however, our tribulations sharply increase as an inescapable result of the crisis and conflict. Some of the secular content for these expec tations was provided by Enlightenment humanism. The new a g e would be one of reason and benevole n ce, of freedom and humanitar i anis m, of equ a lity and justice and self- ru le . But they required something richer than Enlightenment naturalism as a basis. The picture of polarization required a strong notion of good and e v i l , no t one that turned only on the difference between enlightened and un e nligh tened self-interest.

• From Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (1989)

  26 S o th e m otives of t he radical Aufklarer can't be seen exclusively as the a d v an ci ng of scientific reason. This was part of a const ellatio n in which moral m o t i v es play ed a central, even dominan t, part. They were sp ur red to d i s en gage ment a n d s cie nt i fic rea son by the sense that they were affirming the 33i • THE VOICE OF NATURE un adulterated demand s of nature and fr eeing universal benevolence from i ts prison of s uperstition and error. In one way, thi s i s obvious. It leaps at you from their writings. In ano t h e r way, it is problematic, and this b ecause of a centra l feature of their doctri n e . That is that this obvious fact about their motivations and aspirations can ' t be easily stated within the terms allowed by t heir t heories of human n atu r e . These, in their insistence on the physical nature of the moral life or on the reduction of all huma n motivation to pleasure, in their zeal to ro ot o ut a l l religious and met a physical doctrines about "higher" or "spiritual" asp ira tions, to leave them absolutely no ontological space, seemed also to ab oli sh the space fo r what I have been calling 'strong evaluation', the recognition tha t certain goals or ends make a cla im on us, are incommensurabl e with o ur other desires and purposes. The utilitarianism of Bentham or Helvetius illustrates this clearly. Th es e thinkers reco gn ized o nly on e good: pleasure. Moreover, even this wa s n ot defined as a strongly v alued good. The whole point wa s to do away with th e distinction between moral and non-moral goods and make all human de sires equally worthy of consideration.

• From The Great Transformation (2006)

  The prophet’s focus on the earthly city of Jerusalem also seemed to turn the clock back to an older, less developed theological vision. In India and China, the cult was being steadily internalized, and in Israel too Ezekiel’s mandala of a holy city had represented an interior, spiritual ascent to the divine. But the pivot of Second Isaiah’s hopes was the earthly Zion. Yahweh would work a miracle there, transforming its desolate ruins into an earthly paradise. The “glory” of Yahweh, which Ezekiel had seen leaving the city, would return to Mount Zion, and—most important—“all mankind shall see it.”56 Second Isaiah was expecting something dramatic. Before the exile, the “glory” had been evoked and reenacted in the temple rituals, but in the restored Jerusalem (whose walls and battlements would be studded with precious jewels), the divine presence would be more tangible. The returned exiles would experience the glory directly, and because Yahweh would be with his people in such a public, incontrovertible way, they would be safe forever. No nation would dare to attack them again: Remote from oppression, you will have nothing to fear; Remote from terror, it will not approach you. . . . Not a weapon forged against you will succeed.57 Second Isaiah’s promises were disconcertingly close to those of the “false prophets” who had predicted that Jerusalem could never fall to the Babylonians. What would happen if these very precise prophecies were not fulfilled? At first everything went wondrously according to plan. Shortly after Cyrus conquered Babylon, in the autumn of 539, he issued an edict ordering that the gods of the subject peoples, whose effigies Nebuchadnezzar had carried off to Babylonia, should be returned to their own lands, that their temples should be rebuilt, and their cultic furniture and utensils restored. Because gods needed worshipers, the deportees could also return home. Cyrus’s policy was tolerant but also pragmatic. It was cheaper and more efficient than the massive resettlement programs that had characterized Assyrian and Babylonian imperialism. Cyrus would not only earn the gratitude of his subjects, but would also win the favor of their gods. A few months after Cyrus’s coronation, a party of Jewish exiles set out for Jerusalem, with the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had confiscated from the temple. The Bible tells us that 42,360 Judeans made the journey home, together with their servants and two hundred temple singers,58 but in fact the first batch of returnees was probably quite small, since most of the exiles chose to stay in Babylon.59 The leader of the returning party was Sheshbazzar, the nasi (“vassal king”) of Judah. We know nothing about him. He may have been a member of the Davidic royal house, and if so, he would have kissed Cyrus’s hands as a sign of fealty and was the official representative of the Persian government. Judah had become part of the fifth province (satrapy) of the Persian empire, which comprised all territories west of the Euphrates.

• From The Erotic Mind (1995)

  RECOGNIZING AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIESThere’s a Buddhist saying: When the student is ready, the teacher will come. Sometimes that teacher is another person—a mentor, guide, or role model who challenges you to stretch your limits, while instilling confidence that you can to it. More often, life itself is the teacher, but only for those ready and able to follow an uncharted course. Whether we notice or not, life regularly invites us to step outside the constraints imposed by our habits. Unfortunately, most invitations go unanswered. Whenever you make a mindful choice to respond differently than usual, combining awareness with concrete action, your goals and motivations make a leap toward actualization. Your decisions need not be dramatic to be effective. Even the smallest changes, when consciously chosen, make successive ones increasingly tangible and gratifying. Carlos revisited: Allowing connection Caught on the horns of a self-hating dilemma, Carlos, the unhappy voyeur you met in the last chapter, had learned in early adolescence to use inferiority as an aphrodisiac. Once he confronted how his CET magnetically drew him to idealized but unreachable men and dangerous situations, he faced many choices. For him, a major step was to disengage from locker room spying and venture into gay sex clubs, a world of consensual sex that sometimes leads to dates and occasionally even relationships. Some people may have trouble seeing how engaging in casual sex could be a sign of growth, but for Carlos it was. He had a strict safe sex policy so he could explore his sexuality without life-threatening consequences. I remember his delight at spending hours with men who were as enthusiastic as he. Of course, the men whom he considered most perfectly masculine and frustrat-ingly aloof invariably attracted him most. But there were other men who pursued him, a totally new experience he didn’t know how to handle. Though it wasn’t easy, he coaxed himself into not turning away. He knew that learning to accept positive attention was the only alternative to the searing pain of constant rejection. Whenever Carlos was in emotional turmoil, however, his masturbation fantasies reverted to voyeurism. He noticed that his self-esteem took a nose-dive as he worshipped the objects of his desire. As a result of this awareness, he began to wonder what would happen if he were to celebrate his appreciation of the male form, to feel enriched by a man’s beauty rather than demeaned by it. This became the central question of his therapy and his life. Gradually, Carlos experimented—in both fantasy and behavior—with positioning himself more favorably in relation to men he admired. His initial discovery probably won’t surprise you: inferiority was sexier. Equality, however, was infinitely more gratifying. The only people who can fully comprehend this distinction are those who know firsthand the intensity of eroticized self-hatred.

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  In the eyes of the world, we’re doomed, but if, after all this suffering, there are still Jews left, the Jewish people will be held up as an example. Who knows, maybe our religion will teach the world and all the people in it about goodness, and that’s the reason, the only reason, we have to suffer. We can never be just Dutch, or just English, or whatever, we will always be Jews as well. And we’ll have to keep on being Jews, but then, we’ll want to be. Be brave! Let’s remember our duty and perform it without complaint. There will be a way out. God has never deserted our people. Through the ages Jews have had to suffer, but through the ages they’ve gone on living, and the centuries of suffering have only made them stronger. The weak shall fall and the strong shall survive and not be defeated! That night I really thought I was going to die. I waited for the police and I was ready for death, like a soldier on a battlefield. I’d gladly have given my life for my country. But now, now that I’ve been spared, my first wish after the war is to become a Dutch citizen. I love the Dutch, I love this country, I love the language, and I want to work here. And even if I have to write to the Queen herself, I won’t give up until I’ve reached my goal! I’m becoming more and more independent of my parents. Young as I am, I face life with more courage and have a better and truer sense of justice than Mother. I know what I want, I have a goal, I have opinions, a religion and love. If only I can be myself, I’ll be satisfied. I know that I’m a woman, a woman with inner strength and a great deal of courage! If God lets me live, I’ll achieve more than Mother ever did, I’ll make my voice heard, I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind! I now know that courage and happiness are needed first! Yours, Anne M. Frank FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1944 Dear Kitty, Everyone here is still very tense. Pim has nearly reached the bothng point; Mrs. van D. is lying in bed with a cold, grumbling; Mr. van D. is growing pale without his cigarettes; Dussel, who’s having to give up many of his comforts, is carping at everyone; etc., etc. We seem to have run out of luck lately. The toilet’s leaking, and the faucet’s stuck. Thanks to our many connections, we’ll soon be able to get these repaired.

• From Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (1989)

  Locke seems to be heading in this direction in 2. .21. 4 6 , where he say s that the "most pressing" uneasiness naturally determines the will. But as with the theory of knowledge, the reification is meant to make control possible. Locke introduces the will. The mind has "a power to suspend the executio n o f any of its desires; and so all, one after another; is at liberty to consider the obj ects of them, examine them on all sides, and weigh them with others" (2.2.1.53, also 48). We can determine, following ra tion al canons-o f evidenc e , what is the greatest good, and will ourselves to seek it. Moreover, this w ill reform our relish so that it will gain motivational weight. Thus a man may suspend the act of his choice from being determined for or against the thing proposed, till he has examined whether it be really of a nature, in itself and its consequences, to m a ke him happy or not. For, when he has once chosen it, and thereby it is become p a rt of his happiness, it raises desire, and t hat proporti o nably gives him uneasiness. (2..2. 1 .57) To stand thus back from o urselves and our existing 'relish ' , just as in t he c a s e of our notions and beliefs, allows us the possibility to remake oursel ve s i n a m ore rational and advantageous fashion. We are creatures of ulti m a te l y con tingent connections: we have formed certain hab its. But we can b r e a k from them and re-form them . Fashion and the common opinion have settled wrong notions, an d educati o n and custom ill habits, the just values of thing s a r e misplac ed, and the palates of men corrupted. Pains should be taken to rectify these; Locke's Punctual Self· 171 a n d c ontr ary habits change our pleasures, and give us a relish to what is n e ce ssa ry and conducive to our happiness. (2..2.1.7 1) R a d i c al disengag ement opens the prospect of self-remaking.

• From The Erotic Mind (1995)

  Over the years I’ve returned again and again to Dr. Tripp’s concept, completely blending it into my ways of thinking about eroticism. It became my own when I discovered that the resistance principle was easier to grasp and use when translated into a simple formula I call the erotic equation, which summarizes a reality we’ve all experienced: ATTRACTION + OBSTACLES = EXCITEMENT Whenever I tell someone about the equation, whether I’m talking with a client in psychotherapy or addressing a group of therapists at a seminar, I’m struck by how frequently people have the same contradictory responses I did when I first read Dr. Tripp. Everyone knows it’s human nature to want what we can’t easily have. Some experiences, it seems, are so universal as to be virtually invisible. When the erotic equation restates for people something they already know, they typically react as if a light has pierced the darkness. Suddenly they realize why they’re not always attracted to the “right” people, or why the unavailable ones are often the most fascinating. This is the heart of the matter: although sexual desire and arousal can be stimulated by all sorts of people and situations, your most passionate responses spring from the interaction of two competing forces. First, an attraction pulls you toward the object of your desire. Perhaps part or all of that person’s body closely matches your ideal. If you’re really interested, you also perceive, accurately or not, certain personality traits you want to take in—as Dr. Tripp says, to import. And you want the desired one to see qualities in you that are worthy of exporting to him or her. Already the seeds are sown for your attraction to become truly dynamic. Suddenly or gradually, your fascination comes up against one or more obstacles to overcome—the second requirement for a truly compelling erotic response. Perhaps it’s unclear if your interest is reciprocated. Maybe the person is unavailable or somehow inappropriate to pursue. If your attraction touches a romantic chord, the risks of being hurt may loom up, urging you to retreat. Or you may simply be passing strangers, communicating with your eyes the thrill of something that can never be. The erotic equation shows us why peak eroticism is rarely tidy, static, or predictable. It helps us fully grasp what we have always known: the erotic experience, by its very nature, is shaped by the push-pull of opposing forces and is therefore energetic, interactive, and potentially dangerous. We are the most intensely excited when we are a little off-balance, uncertain, poised on the perilous edge between ecstasy and disaster.

• From The Principles of Psychology (Volume 1 of 2) (1890)

  What caused the wild-fire influence of Rousseau but the assurance he gave that man's nature was in harmony with the nature of things, if only the paralyzing corruptions of custom would stand from between? How did Kant and Fichte, Goethe and Schiller, inspire their time with cheer, except by saying, 'Use all your powers; that is the only obedience which the universe exacts'? And Carlyle with his gospel of Work, of Fact, of Veracity, how does he move us except by saying that the universe imposes no tasks upon us but such as the most humble can perform? Emerson's creed that everything that ever was or will be is here in the enveloping now; that man has but to obey himself—' He who will rest in what he is, is a part of Destiny'—is in like manner nothing but an exorcism of all scepticism as to the pertinency of one's natural faculties." In a word, 'Son of Man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee!' is the only revelation of truth to which the solving epochs have helped the disciple. But that has been enough to satisfy the greater part of his rational need. In se and per se the universal essence has hardly been more defined by any of these formulæ than by the agnostic x; but the mere assurance that my powers, such as they are, are not irrelevant to it, but pertinent, that it speaks to them and will in some way recognize their reply, that I can be a match for it if I will, and not a footless waif, suffices to make it rational to my feeling in the sense given above. Nothing could be more absurd than to hope for the definitive triumph of any philosophy which should refuse to legitimate, and to legitimate in an emphatic manner, the more powerful of our emotional and practical tendencies. Fatalism, whose solving word in all crises of behavior is 'All striving is vain,' will never reign supreme, for the impulse to take life strivingly is indestructible in the race. Moral creeds which speak to that impulse will be widely successful In spite of Inconsistency, vagueness, and shadowy determination of expectancy. Man needs a rule for his will, and will invent one if one be not given him." After the emotional and active needs come the intellectual and æsthetic ones. The two great æsthetic principles, of richness and of ease, dominate our intellectual as well as our sensuous life. And, ceteris paribus, no system which should not be rich, simple, and harmonious would have a chance of being chosen for belief, if rich, simple, and harmonious systems were also there. Into the latter we should unhesitatingly settle, with that welcoming attitude of the will in which belief consists. To quote from a remarkable book: "This law that our consciousness constantly tends to the minimum of complexity and to the maximum of definiteness, is of great importance for all our knowledge. . . .

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  For the last two weeks we’ve been eating lunch at eleven-thirty on Saturdays; in the mornings we have to make do with a cup of hot cereal. Starting tomorrow it’ll be like this every day; that saves us a meal. Vegetables are still very hard to come by. This afternoon we had rotten boiled lettuce. Ordinary lettuce, spinach and boiled let- tuce, that’s all there is. Add to that rotten potatoes, and you have a meal fit for a king! I hadn’t had my period for more than two months, but it finally started last Sunday. Despite the mess and bother, I’m glad it hasn’t deserted me. As you can no doubt imagine, we often say in despair, “What’s the point of the war? Why, oh, why can’t people live together peacefully? Why all this destruction?” The question is understandable, but up to now no one has come up with a satisfactory answer. Why is England manufacturing bigger and better airplanes and bombs and at the same time churning out new houses for reconstruction? Why are millions spent on the war each day, while not a penny is available for medical science, artists or the poor? Why do people have to starve when mountains of food are rotting away in other parts of the world? Oh, why are people so crazy? I don’t believe the war is simply the work of politicians and capitalists. Oh no, the common man is every bit as guilty; otherwise, people and nations would have re- belled long ago! There’s a destructive urge in people, the urge to rage, murder and kill. And until all of humanity, without exception, undergoes a metamorphosis, wars will continue to be waged, and everything that has been carefully built up, cultivated and grown will be cut down and destroyed, only to start allover again! I’ve often been down in the dumps, but never desperate. I look upon our life in hiding as an interesting adventure, full of danger and romance, and every privation as an amusing addition to my diary. I’ve made up my mind to lead a different life from other girls, and not to become an ordinary housewife later on. What I’m experiencing here is a good beginning to an interesting life, and that’s the reason -- the only reason -- why I have to laugh at the humorous side of the most dangerous moments. I’m young and have many hidden qualities; I’m young and strong and living through a big adventure; I’m right in the middle of it and can’t spend all day complaining because it’s impossible to have any fun! I’m blessed with many things: happiness, a cheerful disposition and strength. Every day I feel myself maturing, I feel liberation drawing near, I feel the beauty of nature and the goodness of the people around me. Every day I think what a fascinating and amusing adventure this is! With all that, why should I despair? Yours, Anne M.

• From The Diary of a Young Girl (The Definitive Edition) (2020)

  It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquthty will return once more. In the meantime, I must hold on to my ideals. Perhaps the day will come when I’ll be able to realize them! Yours, Anne M. Frank FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1944 Dearest Kitty, I’m finally getting optimistic. Now, at last, things are going well! They really are! Great news! An assassination attempt has been made on Hitler’s life, and for once not by Jewish Communists or English capitalists, but by a German general who’s not only a count, but young as well. The Fuhrer owes his life to “Divine Providence”: he escaped, unfortunately, with only a few minor burns and scratches. A number of the officers and generals who were nearby were killed or wounded. The head of the conspiracy has been shot. This is the best proof we’ve had so far that many officers and generals are fed up with the war and would like to see Hitler sink into a bottomless pit, so they can establish a mthtary dictatorship, make peace with the Allies, rearm themselves and, after a few decades, start a new war. Perhaps Providence is deliberately biding its time getting rid of Hider, since it’s much easier, and cheaper, for the Allies to let the impeccable Germans kill each other off. It’s less work for the Russians and the British, and it allows them to start rebuilding their own cities all that much sooner. But we haven’t reached that point yet, and I’d hate to anticipate the glorious event. Still, you’ve probably noticed that I’m telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. For once, I’m not rattling on about high ideals. Furthermore, Hitler has been so kind as to announce to his loyal, devoted people that as of today all mthtary personnel are under orders of the Gestapo, and that any soldier who knows that one of his superiors was involved in this cowardly attempt on the Fuhrer’s life may shoot him on sight! A fine kettle of fish that will be. Little Johnny’s feet are sore after a long march and his commanding officer bawls him out. Johnny grabs his rifle, shouts, “You, you tried to kill the Fuhrer.