The face is the soul of the body.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
It is the mind that makes the body.
—Sojourner Truth (c.1797–1883) African-American Abolitionist, Activist
No one hates his body.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
The best cure for the body is a quiet mind.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
If you want to feel connected to your own purpose, know this for certain: Your purpose will only be found in service to others, and in being connected to the something far greater than your mind/body/ego.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
—Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) Indian Hindu Monk, Mystic
‘Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support him after.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The human body was designed to walk, run or stop; it wasn’t built for coasting.
—Cullen Hightower (b.1923) American Humorist
He will be the slave of many masters who is his body’s slave.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
The physical symptoms of fight or flight are what the human body has learned over thousands of years to operate efficiently and at the highest level…anxiety is a cognitive interpretation of that physical response.
—John Eliot (b.1971) American Psychologist, Academic
I have always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.
—Lily Tomlin (b.1939) American Comedy Actress
But then they danced down the street like dingledodies, and shambled after as I’ve been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!”
—Jack Kerouac (1922–1969) American Novelist, Poet
It is a sign of a dull nature to occupy oneself deeply in matters that concern the body; for instance, to be over much occupied about exercise, about eating and drinking, about easing oneself, about sexual intercourse.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Whose property is my body? Probably mine. I so regard it. If I experiment with it, who must be answerable? I, not the State. If I choose injudiciously, does the State die? Oh, no.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
An impersonal and scientific knowledge of the structure of our bodies is the surest safeguard against prurient curiosity and lascivious gloating.
—Marie Stopes (1880–1958) British Author, Social Activist
To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear. Water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals.
—Buddhist Teaching
Every moment of our lives we are either growing or dying—and it’s largely a choice, not fate. Throughout its life cycle, every one of the body’s trillions of cells is driven to grow and improve its ability to use more of its innate yet untapped capacity. Research biologist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who was twice awarded the Nobel Prize, called this syntropy, which he defined as the “innate drive in living matter to perfect itself”. It turns conventional thinking upside down…As living cells—or as people—there is no staying the same. If we aim for some middle ground or status quo, it’s an illusion—beneath the surface what’s actually happening is we’re dying, not growing. And the goal of a lifetime is continued growth, not adulthood. As Rene Dubos put it, “Genius is childhood recaptured”. For this to happen, studies show that we must recapture—or prevent the loss of—such child-like traits as the ability to learn, to love, to laugh about small things, to leap, to wonder, and to explore. It’s time to rescue ourselves from our grown-up ways before it’s too late.
—Robert K. Cooper (b.1957) American Author, Psychologist
A feeble body weakens the mind.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Is that what I want? The model family, two plus two in an easy home assembly kit? I don’t want a model, I want the full-scale original. I don’t want to reproduce, I want to make something entirely new.
—Jeanette Winterson (b.1959) English Novelist, Journalist
The brain may be regarded as a kind of parasite of the organism, a pensioner, as it were, who dwells with the body.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
For not a particle of respect had Thoreau to the opinions of any man or body of men, but homage solely to truth itself.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Call our physical body a treasure or a prison. At the end it’s just a costume borrowed for a fraction of time. What costume will karma choose next?
—Hans Taeger
Nobody can do it for you.
—Ralph J. Cordiner (1900–73) American Businessman
The basic Female body comes with the following accessories: garter belt, panty-girdle, crinoline, camisole, bustle, brassiere, stomacher, chemise, virgin zone, spike heels, nose ring, veil, kid gloves, fishnet stockings, fichu, bandeau, Merry Widow, weepers, chokers, barrettes, bangles, beads, lorgnette, feather boa, basic black, compact, Lycra stretch one-piece with modesty panel, designer peignoir, flannel nightie, lace teddy, bed, head.
—Margaret Atwood (b.1939) Canadian Writer, Poet, Critic
Disease is the tax which the soul pays for the body, as the tenant pays house-rent for the use of the house.
—Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836–86) Indian Hindu Philosopher
Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself, it will do more than if you paralyze it by encumbering it with remedies.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
A woman watches her body uneasily, as though it were an unreliable ally in the battle for love.
—Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) Canadian Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Novelist
Our bodies are shaped to bear children, and our lives are a working out of the processes of creation. All our ambitions and intelligence are beside that great elemental point.
—Phyllis McGinley (1905–78) American Children’s Writer, Poet, Children’s Books Author
Leave a Reply