Andrew Solomon in Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity:
We blossom into who we are under the warming light of the love that surrounds us.
Labeling a child’s mind as diseased – whether with autism, intellectual disabilities, or transgenderism – may reflect the discomfort that mind gives parents more than any discomfort it causes their child.
From The Unpublished David Ogilvy:
High standards of personal ethics.
Big people, without pettiness.
Guts under pressure, resilience in defeat.
Brilliant brains – not safe plodders.
A capacity for hard work and midnight oil.
Charisma – charm and persuasiveness.
A streak of unorthodoxy – creative innovators.
The courage to make tough decisions.
Inspiring enthusiasts – with trust and gusto.
A sense of humor.
Big people, without pettiness.
Guts under pressure, resilience in defeat.
Brilliant brains – not safe plodders.
A capacity for hard work and midnight oil.
Charisma – charm and persuasiveness.
A streak of unorthodoxy – creative innovators.
The courage to make tough decisions.
Inspiring enthusiasts – with trust and gusto.
A sense of humor.
From Maya Angelou:
Identity is something that you are constantly earning … a process that you must be active in.
You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.
Being free is being able to accept people for what they are, and not try to understand all they are or be what they are. …