“ Every single empire in its official discourse has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it has a mission to enlighten, civilize, bring order and democracy, and that it uses force only as a last resort. And, sadder still, there always is a chorus of willing intellectuals to say calming words about benign or altruistic empires, as if one shouldn’t trust the evidence of one’s eyes watching the destruction and the misery and death brought by the latest mission civilizatrice.
— Edward Said (via beautiful-ambition)
“ What we’re saying to the victim is that the door is never open to escape until you forgive. When you forgive, they no longer hold you hostage. Anger is an umbilical cord that keeps you tied to the past. As long as you’re angry about it, you’re still tied to it and the person is still controlling you, even with your rage.
— T.D. Jakes (via beautiful-ambition)
“ The best definition of forgiveness I ever heard is giving up the hope that the past could be any different. I love that definition, because it doesn’t mean that you then have to accept the person back into your life. Forgiveness does not mean I now want to have you over for dinner. It doesn’t mean I want to associate with you. It just means I will no longer be tied to the past.
“ What does music mean to me? I don’t think I would really be much without it, without it coming through me. It’s my means of communication, my means of growth, my means of transportation from one point in my life to another.
— Erykah Badu (via meelowtheheavens)
