13 Quotes by Ezra Claytan Daniels

Funny how sometimes it's the people closest to us keeping us from happiness.

The true beauty of the human animal is nowhere as evident as in its acts of creative expression.

What…defines a person as a unique individual? A natural disposition? A face? A vocabulary of gestures? Are we born individuals…or do we mold ourselves into unique creatures through our experiences and accomplishments? Every human enters the world with a vast, incalculable potential. But myriad factors invariably conspire to prevent us from fully achieving that potential.

If our identity cannot exist in a vacuum, then what value does it have?

We chose this for many reasons, all of them selfish. We wanted to be remembered, in history, as well as through our descendants. But some things are better left...forgotten. I just... I need you to deeply consider that when it comes time to make decisions again.

So I can say with confidence that sometimes the only way to cope is to laugh at the absurdity of it all...the absurdity of the very concept of "normal." The absurd arrogance of those who take pride in their normalcy...and the absurdity of caring what those people think of you.

In addition to the often unsatisfactory cards dealt to us by heredity...each of us will, throughout our lives, suffer innumerable encounters with disease, injury, emotional trauma, and personal defeat. These stochastic encounters are cumulative, and many of them will even come to shape core parts of our beings. But are our identities inextricably linked to our imperfections, struggles and genetic blemishes?

You see me as inferior in contrast to your idea of "normal." But what is normal, but mediocre? Is that what you want from our life?

Do you remember when Henry died? Do you remember how it felt when we saw Dad cry for the first time? We were six. We held his hand as Henry's casket was lowered into the ground. And Dad told us, "The death of a man is not the death of his dream." Do you remember that?