77
Allt är relativt, även åldern.
Everything is relative, including age.
Van Johan August Strindberg
424
Man vill bli älskad, i brist därpå beundrad, i brist därpå fruktad, i brist därpå avskydd och föraktad. Man vill ingiva människorna något slags känsla. Själen ryser för tomrummet och vill kontakt till vad pris som helst.
We want to be loved; failing that, admired; failing that, feared; failing that, hated and despised. At all costs we want to stir up some sort of feeling in others. Our soul shudders at the void and longs for contact at any cost. At all costs it longs for contact.
Van Hjalmar Söderberg, novelist
This quote from Hjalmar Söderberg’s 'Doktor Glas' underscores the deep-seated need for emotional connection and recognition, suggesting that people will go to great lengths—even seeking negative attention—rather than face the existential void of insignificance or loneliness.
423
Det dunkelt sagda är det dunkelt tänkta.
The obscurely spoken is the obscurely thought.
Van Esaias Tegnér, 19th-century Swedish poet and bishop.
This suggests that if something is communicated unclearly or ambiguously, it is likely because the thought behind it is also unclear. It highlights the intrinsic link between how we think and how we express our thoughts.
422
Jag har misslyckats om och om igen i livet och det är därför jag lyckas.
I’ve failed over and over and over again in life and that is why I have succeeded.
Van Unknown
Failure is an essential part of the journey to success, as repeated failures provide valuable lessons and experiences that ultimately contribute to eventual success.
14
Om ett träd dör, plantera ett annat i dess ställe.
If a tree dies, plant another in its place.
Van Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist