Stare Into the Abyss and Scoff

A plea for your favorite brutal quote

Help me dear reader!

What is your favorite brutal truth in famous quote form? Something that you’ve read that has haunted you ever since your first reading?

My office has been tasked with creating a workshop, part of a Resiliency and Stress Relief Lunch and Learn. To date, we’ve had Sound Therapy and Savasana. I’m hoping to host something a little more macho.

My idea? Circle up. Take turns reading harsh quotes. Laugh at/with them. End with pushups contest.

For the quotes, I thought that I’d need to check out An Existentialist Reader, but searching “famous authors famous quotes” works even better! For every author you can think of, near the top of the results is a suitable quote.

This post began with my mockup flyer. It’s mostly American authors. (Ha! Where’s the Kafka? The Dostoevsky? Better question - where’s the ladies?)

So help me out, please?¹

I’m both joking and serious. There’s research that shows that the tragedy cinema preferred by the Danes is what keeps Denmark number one in the happiness index every year. The idea being, if your art reminds me you of how much worse your life could be, you’ll feel that much more happy and content with what is.

1. I need quotes to print and cut and put in a hat for participants to pull and read and respond to by courageously chuckling, bravely dismissing, and laughing in solidarity to embrace the gutpunch of living and what can you do but keep going on, haha! Haha! Ha! Ha!