The Official Website of Michael Corthell

Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble. — Yehuda Berg The worst thing a person can do in trying to change the world is to stand alone.

“If you put good apples into a bad situation, you’ll get bad apples.” ― Philip G. Zimbardo The perception of what is good or evil can be manipulated, that is, it can be made a grey choice and almost every person can be pressured by external forces to be immoral in their actions.

“The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything;  the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” ― Hannah Whitall Smith Gratitude wakes us to the limitless potential of the Universe, but thanklessness closes our eyes to it.

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets At the last, it doesn't matter how hard the choice was to make. What really matters is that you did.

“We've begun to raise daughters more like sons...  but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.” ― Gloria Steinem Other than for procreation,  gender has no role in society.

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle   Fear is the second greatest motivator. The first, thankfully is love. “If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war. If the government is inefficient, top-heavy, and tax-mad, better it be all those than that people worry over it. Peace, Montag. Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year. Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change.” ― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

  “It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” ― Andre Gide, Autumn Leaves The pain and the weight of life are relieved by love.

“Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.” ― Mark Twain Nationalism(in any country) is like this; people will do great acts of evil for what they perceive is the common good if they can spread out the guilt of those acts among the many. “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” ― James Baldwin

“To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils.” ― Socrates Is death the opposite of birth or just a step before, that we have forgotten? Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10) John Donne - 1571-1631 Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou'art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell&

“Everything you can imagine is real.” ― Pablo Picasso Everyone is can be a skilled artist as long as they draw freely upon their imagination.

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Your reality and its quality is the aggregate result of  your thoughts. If you want a better reality, clean up your thoughts -- it's just that simple.

“ Make your own Bible . Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson The *tree of life is on each side of the river, and it produces fruit every month...The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations. ― Revelation 22 “For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone. They are like lonely persons. Not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven and Nietzsche. In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfil themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves. Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beaut

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” ― John Lennon If you're reading this...yippee, you are alive!  If that's not something to celebrate,  then I don't know what else is!   “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” ― Emily Dickinson