Richard K. Morgan Quotes

An unreflective mind is a poor roof. Passion, like the rain, floods the house. But if the roof is strong, there is shelter. Whoever follows impure thoughts Suffers in this world and the next. In both worlds he suffers And how greatly.

It is good and very grand to conquer external nature, but grander still to conquer our internal nature.... This conquering of the inner man, understanding the secrets of the subtle workings that are within the human mind, and knowing its wonderful secrets, belong entirely to religion.

It seemed to Alabama that, reaching her goal, she would drive the devils that had driven her - that, in proving herself, she would achieve that peace which she imagined went only in surety of one’s self - that she would be able, through the medium of the dance, to command her emotions, to summon love or pity or happiness at will, having provided a channel through which they might flow. She drove herself mercilessly, and the summer dragged on.

One of the very best of all earthly possessions is self-possession.

The man who can articulate the movements of his inner life need no longer be a victim of himself, but is able slowly and consistently to remove the obstacles that prevent the spirit from entering.

I really explored self-awareness and emotions through 'Green Lantern.' It might sound goofy, but I do believe that emotions have power. We're all driven by something, and most of that is emotional reaction. For me, it was about recognizing my self-awareness.

When you are angry or frustrated, what comes out? Whatever it is, it's a good indication of what you're made of.

You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

You learn to not take things personally and to just let it roll off of you.

There's this idea that, 'All I have at the end of the day is my mind.' That's the only thing you can control. I believe that.

There's a lot around us that we can't control, but my body, my mind, and my soul are pretty much the only things that I can.

I can only control what I can control at the end of the day, so some things you just can't allow to take your head the other way, some things happen for a reason.

Accept what you cannot control.

The voice of our original self is often muffled, overwhelmed, even strangled, by the voices of other people’s expectations.

When you encounter some problems, if you point your finger at yourself and not at others, this gives you control over yourself and calmness in a situation, where otherwise self-control becomes problematic.

The problem is not what other people think, do or say; it is your reaction.

The ordinary man is living a very abnormal life, because his values are upside down. Money is more important than meditation; logic is more important than love; mind is more important than heart; power over others is more important than power over one's own being. Mundane things are more important than finding some treasures which death cannot destroy.

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: ‘To rise above little things’.

Character isn't inherited. One builds it daily by the way one thinks and acts, thought by thought, action by action. If one lets fear or hate or anger take possession of the mind, they become self-forged chains.

One thing that has helped me personally in the past was to stop interfering with the people around me and getting frustrated when I couldn’t change them. Instead of intrusion and passivity, may I suggest submission? Some people make the mistake of confusing “submission” with “weakness”, whereas it is anything but. Submission is a form of peaceful acceptance of the terms of the universe, including the things we are currently unable to change or comprehend.

There's no room for demons when you're self-possessed.

Don't let your feelings be a God to you.

Resolution is struggle. Resolution is ego. Resolution is saying, "I cannot live spontaneously. ".

When we meditate every morning we are putting on armor for the day's battle against our own impatience, inadequacy, resentment, and hostility.