Our lives are part of a unique adventure... Nevertheless, most of us think the world is 'normal' and are constantly hunting for something abnormal--like angels or Martians. But that is just because we don't realize the world is a mystery. As for myself, I felt completely different. I saw the world as an amazing dream. I was hunting for some kind of explanation of how everything fit together.
Jostein GaarderBut understanding will always require some effort. You probably wouldn't admire a friend who was good at everything if it cost her no effort.
Jostein GaarderThe sophists were as a rule men who had traveled widely and seen different forms of government. Both conventions and local laws in the city-states could vary widely. This led the Sophists to raise the question of what was natural and what was socially induced. By doing this, they paved the way for social criticism in the city-state of Athens.
Jostein GaarderIf Iโd chosen never to the foot inside the great fairytale, Iโd never have known what Iโve lost. Do you see what Iโm getting at? Sometimes itโs worse for us human beings to lose something dear to us than never to have had it at all.
Jostein Gaarder