87 Quotes by Anthony Marais

Many humans make the mistake of fighting for race when it’s the species driving our genes. And there is only one weapon to fight for species: the brain.

The desire for continuity is a side-effect of the consciousness of mortality. The desire for meaning is a side-effect of the consciousness of triviality. Hence, consciousness is paid for with an exaggerated focus on sex and work; and those of us who ponder life find these two topics creeping into every discussion.

A creative life has nothing to do with where you’re from or how much money you earn. It’s merely a reflection of the creative intellect.

White and black: with these two categories the diversity of a thousand ethnicities is lost.

Any psyche, conscious of itself, will revolt against the shape, size or color of the body in which it dwells; this healthy—for that body, in fact, not only reminds the psyche of its mortality, it deprives it of its individuality, binding it to a group. Accordingly, crimes of racial violence outrage not only the victims, but all individuals. Apathy, in this case, is a sad indication that you are not an individual.

Skin color or the shape of one’s nose cannot be the criteria upon which individuals are judged. Black is not beautiful; it’s racist. Being African-American, conscious of your culture, fascinated by your history, this is beautiful—and really has nothing to do with putting a color chart next to your face.

Nothing distresses the civilized person like unfettered nature. The Grand Canyon seen from behind the railing is indeed a splendid sight, but as soon as the desert reclaims your golf course that is another matter altogether.

It goes without saying that mastering a skill engenders a sense of satisfaction, but the feeling is ephemeral and dissipates once on the plateau of competency; because this kind of satisfaction is directed toward yourself, whereas the investment of learning about the world is repaid in love—a love of the world, a joy of living, which is permanent and will last till the grave.

There is nothing wrong with being fascinated by the dark side of life, and ourselves, but woe to those who think this is representative of reality. All too many of us sit in our homes watching TV, falling prey to the delusion that the world is getting worse. If these sorry individuals spent more time meeting their neighbors, they’d discover that 95% of their peers are fine people.