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“The performance of certainty seemed to be at the root of so much grief. Everyone in America seemed to be afraid and hurting and angry, starving for a fight they could win. And more than that even, they seemed certain their natural state was to be happy, contented, and rich. The genesis of everyone鈥檚 pain had to be external, such was their certainty. And so legislators legislated, building border walls, barring citizens of there from entering here. 鈥淭he pain we feel comes from them, not ourselves,鈥 said the banners, and people cheered, certain of all the certainty. But the next day they鈥檇 wake up and find that what had hurt in them still hurt.”
― Martyr!
― Martyr!

“There鈥檚 this story I read one time, some old-school Muslim fairy tale, maybe it was a discarded hadith I guess, but it was all about the first time Satan sees Adam. Satan circles around him, inspecting him like a used car or something, this new creation鈥擥od鈥檚 favorite, apparently. Satan鈥檚 unimpressed, doesn鈥檛 get it. And then Satan steps into Adam鈥檚 mouth, disappears completely inside him and passes through all his guts and intestines and finally emerges out his anus. And when he gets out, Satan鈥檚 laughing and laughing. Rolling around. He passes all the way through the first man and he鈥檚 rolling around laughing, in tears, and he says to God, 鈥楾his is what you鈥檝e made? He鈥檚 all empty! All hollow!鈥 He can鈥檛 believe his luck. How easy his job is going to be. Humans are just a long emptiness waiting to be filled.”
― Martyr!
― Martyr!

“just being perceived, all the time being perceived, was itself exhausting.”
― Martyr!
― Martyr!

“The only people who speak in certainties are zealots and tyrants.”
― Martyr!
― Martyr!

“Reading is not just a pastime or a luxury, but a precondition of democratic life, one of the practices that keep debate and disagreement grounded, focused, and productive.”
― Who's Afraid of Gender?
― Who's Afraid of Gender?

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Purya鈥檚 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Purya鈥檚 Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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