Jessica Zafra Quotes

I don't hurt other people intentionally. I'm not a bad person. I have a decent job. So I like to put on high heels and a little dress. Does that make me a monster? -Edgar Saturnino, 24 (Lamentations 5:23)

Tolkien tells us that we do not charge into battle because we know we will win. We do so regardless of odds and outcomes, because we have to.

If you're on a plane and the person in front of you starts slowly tilting to one side, it means he's letting out a fart. Take cover!

My philosophy in gadgets is simple: Use them until they fall apart. Ignore new models as long as you can; they're a plot to separate you from your money.

What I'm saying is, where have all the real people gone? Where are the recognizably-human beings? Of course, it's silly of me to look them on TV commercials, no one watches ads for their true-to-life portrayals. If the ads were full of real people, they wouldn't be able to sell anything. Which is the point of this rambling column.
Real people just don't sell.

What we call the wisdom that comes with age is usually simple caution.

We often reward mediocrity because it is comforting. If they can do it, anyone can do it.

The reason producers make stupid movies is because there are stupid people who will pay to see them.

A writer who makes serious money is never taken seriously. Writers and artists are expected to suffer poverty and privation for their art; it's a sign of authenticity.

Yes, it's true that you can't learn everything from books. But you do learn something about everything.

Once you've read too many trashy best-sellers, you begin to look for something with substance, something that attempts to define the universe.

Why do people put off travel until retirement? What are they saving it for? I understand that people want to be financially secure first, and pay off pension plans, but why consign the most active years of your life to drudgery? Why would you sacrifice today's freedom for a future that will always remain uncertain, no matter how carefully you plan for it? I'm not saying that everyone sitting in an office right this minute should drop everything and take off for Central Europe. I'm saying that if you want to see the world, plan for it and do it as soon as possible. The experience will give you the inspiration and fortitude you need to survive being a grown up.

People will hate you for no apparent reason.

The truth is, the more one knows about Art, the more one values Entertainment.

We are all the same in that we all want to be different.

The expression "madly in love" is apt, for it describes a form of temporary insanity.

That's the thing about a great book. Every time you read it, it's different, because you're different. You've changed since the last time you picked it up, things have happened to you.

Never, ever point out that a woman is eating too much.

We have no control over fate and history, but we can control how we conduct ourselves in this life.

He made writing look easy and critics hate that. They like evidence of a struggle, of creative agony, wringing the masterpiece out of one's guts. After all, most critics think of themselves as writers, or had attempted to become writers. This leads to the bizarre situation in which failed writers pass judgment on writers who actually write for a living.

There are certain rules to be observed when writing about our parents. We can only describe them as transparent figures with golden haloes, smiling down at us from heaven, large flag billowing in the breeze optional, just before the end credits roll.

My Macbook is my new boyfriend, except that he's dependable and meets all my demands.

The question is not why fools fall in love. It is expected of them. When "smart" people fall in love - that's the problem.

Jealousy is like wasabe - a little can add excitement to your salmon sashimi but too much can make you cry and trigger facial contortions. I find it very flattering if someone is jealous of me. It is an affirmation that I am hot and spectacular. It is a confirmation of my value and importance. Yes, I am vain.

In relationships it is best to assume nothing.

Freedom doesn't give you the license to do whatever the hell you want. It doesn't give you the license to, excuse my language, piss on other people's freedom.

Whining is a form of manipulation. People will give anything to make you shut up.

I'd rather be a bitch than a doormat.

Few things in life are certain, and one of them is that you can turn on the television at three in the morning and someone will be singing and dancing on the Indian channel. Proof of Nietzsche's theory of eternal recurrence.

The challenge for all of us in this day and age is to distinguish between the merely surprising and the truly amazing.

What exactly did we learn in kindergarten? Nothing we wouldn't have learned if we;d stayed home. Okay, we learned that sometimes, by the time you get to the bathroom, it's too late.

If you are honest with yourself, your life will be so much more pleasant.

That's really what the mall is all about: money. At the mall the rule is: Credito, ergo sum - I shop, therefore I am.

While being madly in love is fun, perhaps one should aspire to be sanely in love.

Food is the best substitute for everything, because it does not put up any resistance, but surrenders instantly.

Humans have terrible passions that can go either way: create or destroy, it all depends on where they emerge. Art is not a tranquil occupation. What is peaceful about wrestling with nothingness? If the process isn't brutal, it's just decor. Your choice: violence towards others, or violence to yourself?

The guilty pleasure defense. In my view if it's guilty, it ain't pleasure.

Being good does make a difference. You will not receive praise or payment for it, and other people will mistake your goodness for weakness, but it resonates among people you won't even meet.

Singapore is what your city could become if everyone obeyed the rules, did their jobs diligently, and just shut up. When your city gets to be this paragon of efficiency and discipline, would you still want to live there? Singapore is a model city, which is terrific if you happen to be a model human.

What does not kill you will make you stronger and more cynical.

The more "normal" the person seems, the sicker she probably is.