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If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly.

Alan Lightman

Every essay – the subject matter of every essay – is ultimately about the essayist; him or herself. That ultimately, every essayist is writing about his or her view of the world.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Essay Every Him Himself Matter Subject Ultimate
One metaphor for how we are living is that you see so may people with cell phones.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Cell How Live Metaphor One People Phone
Will never fail to show his love, will never become jealous, will never fall in love with someone else, will never lose the passion of this instant of time.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Fall Instant Jealousy Love Passion Someone Time
It is a world in which every word spoken speaks just to that moment, every glance given has only one meaning.
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Glance Meaning Moment Speak Spoken World
In restaurants, walking, they have cell phones clamped to their to heads.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Cell Clamp Head Phone Restaurant Walk
The second squirms and wriggles like a bluefish in a bay. The first is unyielding, predetermined. The second makes up its mind as it goes along.
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Along Bluefish Make Mind Predetrmine Second Squirm Unyield Wriggle
Nature is purposeless. Nature simply is. We may find nature beautiful or terrible, but those feelings are human constructions. Such utter and complete mindlessness is hard for us to accept.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Nature Purposeless Simply
Human beings consider themselves satisfied only compared to some other condition.
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Compare Condition Consider Human Being Other Satisfy
I think people all over the institution recognize that different ways of understanding are valuable. Artists may think in a different way than biologists or chemists, but you can learn something from that.
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Different Institute Over People Recognize Think Understanding Valuable
All writers have roots they draw from – travel, work, family. My roots are in science and it is fertile ground for fiction.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Draw Family Root Travel Work Writer
I picked such seemingly disparate essays, I thought it was important to say what was the guiding principle in the selection rather than focus on any one essay.
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Disparate Essay Guide Important Pick Power Say Seemingly Thought
Life is a vessel of sadness, but is noble to live life and without time there is no life. Others disagree.
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Continent Disagree Eternal Fix Frozen Life
I appreciate the idea of the individual person battling the society – which is true in all his books.
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Appreciate Book Ideas Person Society
A world in which time is absolute is a world of consolation. For while the movements of people are unpredictable, the movement of time is predictable.
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Absolute Consolation Time World
He hopes that she loves him in return. Is it possible for a person to love without wanting love back?
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Back Hope Love Person Possible Return Want
Imagine a world in which there is no time. Only images.
ALAN LIGHTMAN

Image Imagine Nom Time World

If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly.

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If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly.

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