Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxleywas an English writer, novelist, philosopher, and prominent member of the Huxley family. He graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a first in English literature...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth26 July 1894
suffering may individual
When one individual comes into intimate contact with another, she—or he, of course, as the case may be—must almost inevitably receive or inflict suffering.
agony bereavement suffering
There are confessable agonies, sufferings of which one can positively be proud. Of bereavement, of parting, of the sense of sin and the fear of death the poets have eloquently spoken. They command the world's sympathy. But there are also discreditable anguishes, no less excruciating than the others, but of which the sufferer dare not, cannot speak. The anguish of thwarted desire, for example.
art suffering literature
Perhaps it's good for one to suffer. Can an artist do anything if he's happy? Would he ever want to do anything? What is art, after all, but a protest against the horrible inclemency of life?
degrees drink equal hardened hundred indulge love nirvana parts proof pure spirit-and-spirituality
Pure Spirit, one hundred degrees proof -- that's a drink that only the most hardened contemplation-guzzlers indulge in. Bodhisattvas dilute their Nirvana with equal parts of love and work.
change changing found sure
I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself.
english-novelist knows life multiply power ways
Every person who knows how to read has it in their power to magnify themselves, to multiply the ways in which they exist, to make life full, significant, and interesting.
absolute beings capacity english-novelist human infinite taking
Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted.
history lessons men
Men do not learn much from the lessons of history and that is the most important of all the lessons of history.
doubt english-novelist man
A fanatic is a man who consciously over compensates a secret doubt.
certain corner english-novelist
There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.
behaviour beings english-novelist human inverse moral number quality ratio varies
The quality of moral behaviour varies in inverse ratio to the number of human beings involved.
english-novelist man served servitude
Man is an intelligence, not served by, but in servitude to his organs.
comedy
We participate in tragedy. At comedy we only look.
facts indulge knee sheer sitting talk utter wise words
Facts are ventriloquists dummies. Sitting on a wise man's knee they may be made to utter words of wisdom; elsewhere, they say nothing, or talk nonsense, or indulge in sheer diabolism.