[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$frvK_RYCz9e2jK_Jm-bEqlihJYSuG01cIrPgKmWKj7uk":3,"$fCv7KeIQGfROUWyVLCDbEEwdXws8KRXf1h-jIsAG-o6A":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},45758,"Hassan Blasim","H",11,null,"hassan-blasim",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":167},[14,22,28,34,51,68,84,106,127,153],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3069336,"The pleasure I found in reading books was disconcerting... I felt anxious about every new piece of information. I would latch onto one particular detail and start look for references and other versions of it in other writings. I remembered, for example, that for quite some time I tracked down the subject of kissing. I read and read and felt dizzy with the subject, as if I had eaten a psychotropic fruit.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3069324,"You can’t understand beauty without peace of mind and you can’t get close to the truth without fear.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},3069310,"I wanted to reach back to other times I might have lived in, the traces of which are scattered to places I previously thought imaginary.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},723588,"You can't understand beauty without peace of mind and you can't get close to the truth without fear.",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[41,46],{"id":42,"tag":43},3523269,{"id":44,"tag_name":45},191,"fear",{"id":47,"tag":48},3523267,{"id":49,"tag_name":50},723,"beauty",{"id":52,"quote_text":53,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":54,"source":55,"quote_tag":56,"commentary":67},719118,"...I believe in dreams more than I believe in God. Dreams get into you and leave, then come back with new fruit, but God is just a vast desert.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[57,62],{"id":58,"tag":59},3512058,{"id":60,"tag_name":61},45,"dreams",{"id":63,"tag":64},3512059,{"id":65,"tag_name":66},255,"god","**The Backstory**\nHassan Blasim, an Iraqi author and filmmaker, is known for his works that often explore the complexities of human experience under the weight of war and displacement. The quote in question appears in one of his short stories or essays (exact origin unknown), reflecting his experiences as a refugee and his observations on the nature of faith and dreams.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a tension between two fundamental aspects of human existence: the transcendent, all-encompassing belief in God, and the intimate, personal connection with one's own dreams. Blasim suggests that while God might represent an unattainable ideal or an abstract concept, dreams are tangible, visceral experiences that can evoke feelings of hope and renewal.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, a professional or creative should cultivate a deep reverence for the ideas and inspirations that arise from within. By valuing these internal sparks over external certainties, individuals can tap into their own potential for innovation and growth, even in the face of uncertainty or adversity.",{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":9},617632,"On more than one occasion I heard how life apparently advances, moves on, sets sail or, at worst, apparently crawls slowly forward. My life, on the other hand, simply exploded like a firecracker in the hand of God, a small flare in his mighty firmament of bombardment.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[74,79],{"id":75,"tag":76},3221940,{"id":77,"tag_name":78},12,"change",{"id":80,"tag":81},3221942,{"id":82,"tag_name":83},4768,"living-in-the-moment",{"id":85,"quote_text":86,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":87,"source":88,"quote_tag":89,"commentary":105},499892,"Then he thrust the knife into my stomach and said:\"You're shaking.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[90,95,100],{"id":91,"tag":92},2793213,{"id":93,"tag_name":94},496,"war",{"id":96,"tag":97},2793211,{"id":98,"tag_name":99},2097,"absurdity",{"id":101,"tag":102},2793212,{"id":103,"tag_name":104},17310,"iraq","**The Backstory**\nThis quote is from Hassan Blasim's short story \"The Madman of Freedom\", a collection of short stories that explore the Iraq War and its aftermath through surreal, often nightmarish scenarios. Blasim was born in 1973 in Baghdad, Iraq, and his experiences during the war and subsequent exile have deeply influenced his writing.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nOn the surface, this quote appears to be a gruesome description of violence. However, it reveals a profound commentary on the dehumanizing effects of trauma and the ways in which our bodies betray us in times of extreme stress. The irony lies in the fact that the perpetrator's concern is not for his victim's well-being but rather for their physical reaction to pain – \"You're shaking.\"\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen facing a situation where you feel overwhelmed or physically affected by stress, recall that your body's response might be more telling than any emotional one. Instead of trying to \"tough it out\" or hide your vulnerability, acknowledge and prioritize self-care, recognizing that your physical well-being is an essential aspect of maintaining mental resilience.",{"id":107,"quote_text":108,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":109,"source":110,"quote_tag":111,"commentary":9},424452,"The pleasure I found in reading books was disconcerting...I felt anxious about every new piece of information. I would latch onto one particular detail and start look for references and other versions of it in other writings. I remembered, for example, that for quite some time I tracked down the subject of kissing. I read and read and felt dizzy with the subject, as if I had eaten a psychotropic fruit.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[112,117,122],{"id":113,"tag":114},2445480,{"id":115,"tag_name":116},52,"reading",{"id":118,"tag":119},2445477,{"id":120,"tag_name":121},1329,"obsession",{"id":123,"tag":124},2445481,{"id":125,"tag_name":126},7554,"research",{"id":128,"quote_text":129,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":130,"source":131,"quote_tag":132,"commentary":9},392842,"The dead, Your Honor, do not agonize over their crimes and do not long to be happy, as you know.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[133,138,143,148],{"id":134,"tag":135},2289905,{"id":136,"tag_name":137},119,"death",{"id":139,"tag":140},2289904,{"id":141,"tag_name":142},1028,"dead",{"id":144,"tag":145},2289906,{"id":146,"tag_name":147},11088,"gallows-humor",{"id":149,"tag":150},2289903,{"id":151,"tag_name":152},39468,"black-humor",{"id":154,"quote_text":155,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":156,"source":157,"quote_tag":158,"commentary":9},336794,"There's no need to kick him in the balls for him to tell the story honestly and impartially, because the dead are usually honest, even the bastards among them.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[159,162],{"id":160,"tag":161},2012632,{"id":136,"tag_name":137},{"id":163,"tag":164},2012633,{"id":165,"tag_name":166},674,"honesty",{"currentPage":168,"totalPages":37,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":169},1,10]