A chief event of life is the day in which we have encountered a mind that startled us.

And when they encounter works of art which show that using new media can lead to new experiences and to new consciousness and expand our senses our perception our intelligence our sensibility then they will become interested in this music.

If you know that life is basically going to be horrendously difficult at best and all but unlivable at worst or possibly even unlivable do you go on? And the choice to go on is the only thing that I think can be called hope. Because if hope isn't forced to encounter the worst possibility then it's a lie.

The worst mistake of first contact made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal.

I don't believe in accidents. There are only encounters in history. There are no accidents.

History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.

Those who weep for the happy periods which they encounter in history acknowledge what they want not the alleviation but the silencing of misery.

Nevertheless whether in occurrences lasting days hours or mere minutes at a time I have experienced happiness often and have had brief encounters with it in my later years even in old age.

Above all things let us never forget that mankind constitutes one great brotherhood all born to encounter suffering and sorrow and therefore bound to sympathize with each other.

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.

The hardships that I encountered in the past will help me succeed in the future.

In everyone's life at some time our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

Even when a person has all of life's comforts - good food good shelter a companion - he or she can still become unhappy when encountering a tragic situation.

My encounters with racism are sort of second-hand situations where I might be standing around with a group of white friends and someone makes a comment that they wouldn't make at my family reunion.

We consider Christmas as the encounter the great encounter the historical encounter the decisive encounter between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly let him rejoice.

I feel that the Christian experience and the Jewish one have much to give each other. If this open society continues and there is no return to political anti-Semitism then this encounter deeper than any theology may happen.

The new spirituality is that it will produce an experience in human encounters in which we become a living demonstration of the basic spiritual teaching 'We are all one.'

Man learns through experience and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process.

In Canada women's rights are a vital part of our effort to build a society of real equality - not just for some but for all Canadians. A society in which women no longer encounter discrimination nor are shut out from opportunities open to others.

In fact I believe that we need better sex education in our own culture here in America so that young folk learn about things like venereal disease before they encounter it.

Individuals approaching death often experience encounters with their dead relatives who seem to welcome them to the next world. These deathbed visions are authentic and convincing they are often followed by a state of euphoria and seem to ease the transition.

Death's an old joke but each individual encounters it anew.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations all pride all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death leaving only what is truly important.

Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.