"No man is an island." -John Donne


This quote is all about the togetherness that we humans share. Donne is trying to purvey the message that no one is ever truly alone, and that there is always someone out there who will recognize and appreciate our existence. This quote is also trying to show that total isolation is never a good thing. While it may be desirable to escape from the pressures of everyday life and society once in a while, we must not forget that we are social creatures by nature and are simply not capable of achieving all that we wish to without the help of others. Everyone is necessary and we are all playing a part in the big picture. No man is an island and no one is truly alone.


"Hell is other people." -Jean-Paul Sartre


This quote brings me back to one of my profound beliefs that perception is reality. This tactic, although not always beneficial or honest, plays a tremendous role in determining how people react to their lives. The way people perceive their environment is crucial in understanding their persona. Sartre's quote is narcissistic and does not speak optimistically about society. He believes that we as people are creating a terrible reality and that our malicious traits are expressed more significantly than our beneficial ones. While humans can and have made the world a terrible places over the course of history. I do not believe that most of us are out to create a disutopian world and try to make life hard on others. That being said, we humans do mess up quite often and Sartre could view these actions as humanity mindlessly creating a hellish world for ourselves; which is often true. One of my favorite quotes to keep in mind, although negative in connotation is, "the road to hell is paved with good intent." I keep this mind to make sure my actions are not just quick solutions to problems or are setting up further disasters, but that my actions are responsible, practical, and will provide a realistic solution. I find that people often "nice" their way into a bad situation by trying to find solutions in the wrong places. Perhaps this is what Sartre is referring to. Maybe he is not saying that humans are terrible or unintelligent, but that we use our abilities blindly and create a hell for ourselves without the guidance of wisdom.

" Being alone never felt right. Sometimes it felt good, but it never felt right." -Charles Bukowski 

This quote sufficiently describes my personal views on loneliness. In this quote, Bukowski points out that we as humans can find much refuge and understanding when we are alone, however it is not in our human nature to be entirely lonesome. I enjoy loneliness at certain times, especially as a teenager. It feels good to be able to slip away and just think, meditate, or goof around without feeling like I am being judged. I've been able to enhance my understanding of my social experiences in an in-depth way by synthesizing everything that goes on during the day and trying to make sense of it when I am alone. That being said, I've also been able to take away a great deal of my learning about myself and life through conversing with other people. To me, life is basically like trying to balance literally everything we are exposed to on some scale that doesn't tell you when everything is right, forcing you to use your judgement. I like how in this quote Bukowski says that loneliness can feel good, but it never feels right. I agree with that sentiment 90% of the time. Most of the time, I appreciate loneliness, but I retain the ever yearning desire to share and express among other people. However, there are certain times when I am alone and everything in the current moment aligns and for that moment, loneliness feels right. At the moment I feel alone, but I am reminded that my brain and my body are the only things I can truly own or control in this life and the acceptance of that truth makes me feel full and excited to use my abilities to the fullest. 

"Virtue is sufficient for happiness." -Socrates 

Socrates' point of view here makes a great deal of sense. He explains that it is what we value inside that determines our happiness and expresses that happiness is the most subjective emotion we can attain. Happiness is something completely left up to a person's perspective and what they value. Some people think they find happiness in material things and surrounding themselves with physical representations of their wealth, others find happiness in being able to spur emotions in people and in appreciating the beauty of the world. The number of happiness-creators is limitless. Let us live lives that find happiness not in things with a price tag, but in the joyous emotions that are created within us, forces that cannot be seen, but are only felt and believed in. Happiness is a force, that radiates through out the world at different times, sometimes evading others for longer than they expect. Happiness is found through appreciation and in the fact that we humans cannot help but be swept up by the belief that we are all playing a role in mankind's destiny.