Much of my life had been devoted to trying not to cry in front of people who loved me, so I knew what Augustus was doing. You clench your teeth. You look up. You tell yourself that if they see you cry, it will hurt them, and you will be nothing but a Sadness in their lives, and you must not become a mere sadness, so you will not cry, and you say all of this to yourself while looking up at the ceiling, and then you swallow even though your throat does not want to close and you look at the person who loves you and smile.
John GreenThe Romans knew it: quod me alit me extinguit, they said: That which nourishes me, extinguishes me.
John GreenBen's tongue is like sunscreen...It's good for your health and should be applied liberally.
John GreenWe have this weird thing in the world where you don't get insulted for what you do, you get insulted for who you are.
John GreenAll of us, poor & rich alike, have been conditioned by our upbringings. Impoverished men & women may become lulled into a state of "learned helplessness" without hope to change their lives. Likewise, the wealthy can walk in a state of "learned blindness" ignoring the desperation of the local & global poor.
John Green