We make up a story to cover the facts we don’t know or can’t accept.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Acceptance of Truth
A
Seriousness in Love
S
Love may not lead where we think or hope, but regardless of outcome it should be a call to seriousness and truth.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Chaotic World
C
The world is as crazy as five waltzing mice.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Complexity of Love
C
There’s no single, unimpeachable word for that blend of tenderness, longing, passion, commitment, anxiety, and fear that we call love.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Ordinary Qualities
O
Survival is not about bravery and heroics; survivors often possess the most ordinary qualities and unheroic abilities: luck, patience, an aptitude for boredom.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Potential Grief
P
Every love story is a potential grief story.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Truth in Art
T
Art tells gorgeous lies that come true.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Learning from History
L
It’s not that the past is to be revered: it’s just that it’s to be respected and learned from.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Two Sides of Courage
T
Bravery and cowardice are just two sides of the same equation.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Imperfect Memory
I
History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.
Julian Barnes – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters