Charlotte Bronte writes, referring to her sisters, "Neither Emily nor Anne was learned; they had no thought of filling their pitchers at the well-spring of other minds."

In "Biographical Notice of Ellis and Acton Bell" (1850) by Charlotte Bronte. Back of the Norton edition of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Although the quote is sort of sad, I enjoy the image of the mind as a pitcher to be filled with the knowledge of other minds. That is what learning is, right?

"And yet it is a chapter and a very important one too. Are not there little chapters in everybody's life, that seem to be nothing and yet affect all the rest of the history." -Thackeray, Vanity Fair

I can think of examples in my own life, whether people or events or words. Can you? What small chapters do you know will effect the rest of your life?

"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want." - Lao-Tzu

Romantics

• From the movie The Romantics.
• "Romanticism/Romantics" refers to the literary, artistic, and intellectual movement of the late 18th century. The dialogue below refers specifically to English Romantic poets like John Keats and Lord Byron.
  
• Dialogue between a guy and girl who are in-love with each other. Yet it is the night before his wedding to another woman. The group of friends in the movie call themselves the "Romantics" and their purpose of being together is to inspire each other.
  
• A descent film, though I really dislike Katie Holmes
  

Guy: "The Romantics weren't writing about love, they were writing about religion."

Girl: "Then I don't know the difference."

Do we not talk about love in the same way we talk about religion? With the same emotion and even the same language? Does it not require the same dedication, faith, etc. Are love and religion, in a sense, the same? The girl in the dialogue implies that she interprets the Romantic poetry she has read as being about love. She applies it to her own life. She feels and is effected by the poetry. It inspires her.

"Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?" - Thackeray, Vanity Fair

Makes me wonder... do we really know what we want? What we need? Is happiness not about having the object of your desire? What is happiness then? Are those who want the least the most happy? Are those who are content with the life they have the most happy? Will we every truly be satisfied?

How to Live & How to Die

"Which, I wonder, brother reader, is the better lot, to die prosperous and famous, or poor and disappointed? To have, and to be forced to yield; or to sink out of life, having played and lost the game?" - W.M. Thackeray in Vanity Fair

The latter seems the more humble path.