Marya Mannes Quotes

We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.

I'm insatiably curious about human nature.

Stories teach us empathy. They reveal to us ourselves in the skins of others.

Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.

To know anything about oneself one must know all about others.

How easy it is to see your brother's faults, How hard it is to face your own. You winnow his in the wind like chaff, But yours you hide, Like a cheat covering up an unlucky throw. Dwelling on your brother's faults Multiplies your own. You are far from the end of your journey. The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart. See how you love.

Most of your suffering comes from the lack of understanding of yourself and others.

When men hate or blame you, or say hurtful things about you, look deeply into their hearts and see what kind of men they are. You'll see how unnecessary it is to strain after their good opinion. Yet you must still think kindly of them. they are your neighbors. The gods help them as they do you, by dreams and oracles, to win their hearts' desires.

Of all literary exercitations, whether designed for the use or entertainment of the world, there are none of so much importance, or so immediately our concern, as those which let us into the knowledge of our own nature. Others may exercise the understanding or amuse the imagination; but these only can improve the heart and form the human mind to wisdom.

I want, by understanding myself, to understand others. I want to be all that I am capable of becoming.... This all sounds very strenuous and serious. But now that I have wrestled with it, it's no longer so. I feel happy- deep down. All is well.

I think it's really important to find out why people hurt you or try to oppose you or whatever.

I was a little truth seeker as a child. I wanted more than anything to understand myself and also other people.

But what do we know of the heart nearest to our own? What do we know of our own heart?

Everyone loses touch with their aspiration, and we need the heart to return to what we really care about. All of this is based on developing greater lovingkindness and compassion.

I don't know what is better than the work that is given to the actor-to teach the human heart the knowledge of itself.

If you don't understand yourself you don't understand anybody else.

Our own self-realization is the greatest service we can render the world.

You learn stuff from every character you play about the human condition that can be quite enlightening.

The human body is the best picture of the human soul.

It's important to determine not just the quality of your mind but the fullness of your heart.

Like most people, what I find irritating in others are my own faults.

I learned so much about life and other human beings - then about myself.

There's nothing ever monetarily or fame-seeking or any of the other motivations that sometimes go hand-in-hand with this profession. To me, it's just not like that. I'm on a journey of self-discovery and trying to avoid total existential crisis. That's the kind of operating zone that I'm approaching this business from.

For each character, I try to understand what is driving them.

To me, acting used to be just, 'Get my face out there, get girls, make a little bit of money, make my mom proud.' It was just like sports. But there were moments in 'Moonlight' that I really felt like I had to know why he is the way he is. Or just people in general - why this person walks around with a frown on their face instead of a smile.