I Came, I Quoted, I Concurred

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. How convenient, but who will give you lemons to make lemonade? There is no such thing as a free lunch. Such quotations were crafted to provide solace to people in their moments of weakness.

Quotes have a charming quality about them: witty, metaphorical, and lyrical. They are soothing to read, calming for the mind, and placating to the heart. Yet, the objection is not as much to the truth underneath the quotations as to their variety to suit all life situations. Quotations are often contradictory and self-serving to the ones digging them out to reassure themselves. Frankly speaking, famous sayings do not guide our life. We function as the curators, judges, and interpreters of the quotations, picking the favourite ones that agree with our circumstances.  

Consider the matter of love and heart. "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none," William Shakespeare wrote. This advice is best given to saints like Mother Teresa. To you and me, the message is out of place in a world where everyone competes for their pound of flesh by outwitting others, backstabbing colleagues for promotion, and posturing to take the moral high ground. Alfred Tennyson is much more pragmatic. “I feel it, when I sorrow most; It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” the poet wrote. While Tennyson highlights the value of experiencing love despite the risk of loss, Shakespeare advises caution and moral integrity in love. Ironically, Romeo and Juliet took Tennyson’s path. 

The same tension also marks the weighty matter of how to live well which is our next topic. Check the familiar saying, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans," attributed to John Lennon. It makes sense and gives you some philosophical anchor to cope with life’s uncertainties and unexpected turns. It gels with the value of embracing the present moment and accepting the fluidity of life. The quotation is so profound that we soak it up without an iota of doubt. But not for long, as Benjamin Franklin plays spoilsport, he said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." This is a classic to be or not to be. Shall we plan or not plan to achieve our goals and forego detailed budgeting and listing inventory in an Excel Sheet before starting our gourmet restaurant?

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You will agree that every person will face some sort of adversity on their personal or professional front. There is no escape from tough times, no matter who and where we are. At such junctures in our lives, quotations and spiritual words pull us to them, and we seek them out in books, YouTube reels, and Facebook posts. Dalai Lama would suddenly appear to be a life saviour to us. Books by Brenne Brown, Robin Sharma, and Paulo Coelho will be hunted and purchased online to help us heal our losses or setbacks. The word ‘resilience’ will be seductive. If you delve further into this self-help spree, you will encounter Molière’s saying, “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it." At this, we would feel validated, pat ourselves, and decide that we are not, after all, a loser. Contrast this sentiment with the opposite effect evoked by James Baldwin’s "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." Here, Molière's focus on triumph contrasts with Baldwin's emphasis on the necessity of confronting adversity. And we are back to square one. 

Happiness quotes are a dime a dozen. Analyse them, and you may be baffled by their inconsistencies. Dalai Lama will flash his great smile and tell you, "Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." This aligns with what Positive Psychology and philosophies like Epicureanism have advocated for finding joy in simple pleasures and cultivating a positive mindset. Buttressing this view on happiness, Mahatma Gandhi also considered happiness attainable by conscious choices. He said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." These quotes suggest that happiness could be pursued through deliberate actions based on moral grounds. Other thinkers don’t think so. For Socrates, “Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty”. Rabbi Hyman Schachtel also echoes the same line when he said, "Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." 

For our last example, let’s examine the theme of success. The first quote: “Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration." — Thomas Edison. Counter quote: "It's not about how hard you work, but how smart you work." — Anonymous. 
I rest my case.

The Quote Paradox

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function,” said F. Scott Fitzgerald.  How will you reconcile the seemingly contradictory quotations? Is it wise to live from quote to quote from an anthology? These questions can only be answered by philosophy. Socrates, that potato of philosophy, hints at an answer with one of his famous quotes: “The unexamined life is not worth living,” suggesting that we should relentlessly question assumptions until we arrive at an understanding that is satisfactory. Another Greek sage, Aristotle, introduced the concept of the Golden Mean, which advocates for balance and moderation in all aspects of life. His is a very practical approach. In fact, Aristotle is mainly known for this balanced approach in which he exhorted that the mean is to be always preferred over the extremes, such as the virtue of courage over foolhardiness or cowardice.

Existentialist philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus argue that life’s meaning is not predetermined but created through individual choices. The contradictory nature of quotations should not be taken at their face value; each person’s experience is unique, and what holds true for one may not for another. In short, create your own meanings and live authentically according to your convictions. Like saying the best camera is the one you have, it can be said that the best quotation is the one you have in your memory and believe in.

Indian schools of thought also provide intellectual frameworks for dealing with the internal contradictions of quotations. When in doubt, refer to Advaita Vedanta, founded by Adi Shankaracharya. The great teacher propagates the oneness of the individual soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman). Everything is Maya, my child, and he added that the contradictions we experience arise from this illusion. The ultimate reality, Brahman, is non-dual and beyond all contradictions. Take a pause here. Breathe in and breathe out. Aren’t these ideas too abstract? Don’t you already miss your straightforward, simple and rustic quotations?

War of Quotes

Beyond quotations, the world is also divided into binaries in all its majestic manifestations. Take politics, for example. Its universe consists of Trump vs Biden, Left vs Right, Conservatives vs Liberals, Regionalism vs Nationalism, and so on. Many wars have been fought in the name of these ideologies and to gain supremacy and impose their respective political systems on the beleaguered countries. The World Wars were a violent contest between imperialism and self-determination, fascism and democracy, racism and humanity and other ideological polar opposites to assert their superiority. The dualistic nature is pervasive everywhere. 

Closer home, any discussion on Manipur's crisis will reveal two inextricable narratives, for and against the Meiteis and Kukis who have been at loggerheads since May 3, 2023. The Meities contend that Kukis are predominantly illegal immigrants from foreign countries and are devising an insidious plan to claim the territory of Manipur. The Kukis say the Meities are machinating to steal Kukis' land by trying to take the garb of ST in the near future. These narratives have taken the form of timeless quotations we discussed earlier, and when these unfiltered narratives are told repeatedly, they take a life of their own. Much like the famous quotations, they spread. Someone who is not a native of Manipur would be so confounded that she may decide to choose the better-presented, attractively packaged and more visible line, just as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So, how do we unpack these claims? 

Reading between the Quotes

Of course, we do not simply believe in anything without questioning it or framing it to our earlier experiences. Our culture, religious background, education, personality traits, socio-economic status, etc., influence what meanings we extract from any given theory – or quotation in our case. Some rules of thumb or shortcuts can guide us in navigating the too-sentimental yet contradictory words of wisdom. 

First is the context. The wise men and women who coined the famous words did not do so in a vacuum. Their words made complete sense in the context in which they were uttered or written.  So, scratch the surface a bit and find the ambient tidbits. A famous quote from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." At first blush, it looks like a pacifist counsel, telling us to endure hardships to the point of near death. The deeper history reveals otherwise. Nietzsche wrote extensively about the human condition, suffering, and the will to power (read Übermensch).  He believed life's struggles are essential for growth and overcoming adversities to achieve excellence and self-mastery despite obstacles.

Secondly, there is something to be said that qualifies personal interpretation of quotes. It is acceptable as long as it doesn't go against the grain of the original advice. What matters is how it matters to you in your growth and how you can repurpose a quote for reflection to fit your unique circumstances and beliefs. Twisting the nuances of a quote and customising it is very much legal.

However, the best strategy is to strive for balance and moderation when interpreting quotations. Trim the extreme hard edges and find a middle ground that works for you. Be open to multiple views as varied as the richness and diversity of the human condition. 

And remember, be the change you wish to see in the world. Who said that?