Peanuts In My Pocket

Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesdays, my weekly series where I rank personal favorites across music, film, books, and more. This week, I’m focusing on something different – quotes. Words that have stuck with me over decades, shaping how I think, live, and sometimes laugh.

If Not This, Then What?

I became an atheist at 18 after years of believing I’d become a pastor. Up until then, my life revolved around seeking God’s will. When I walked away from faith, that burden shifted to me. I filled the void with books, and from those books came the quotes that helped me find direction, purpose, and peace.

Over time, I collected hundreds. Here are ten that have stayed with me.

My Top Ten Favorite Quotes

1. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
   When I left religion behind, this quote became my North Star. It reminded me that character and courage matter more than fate.
2. “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.” – Barack Obama
   I find comfort in this one, especially during the current chaos. It’s a reminder that progress has always been hard, and worth it.
3. “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” – Anthony Bourdain
   Nothing but truth here. Life is meant to be lived, not preserved in amber. I miss Bourdain’s humor, his honesty, and his appetite for experience.
4. “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” – Charles Bukowski
   Amen. Self-doubt keeps me honest, but confident ignorance still amazes me daily.
5. “The only thing that isn’t worthless: to live this life out truthfully and rightly. And be patient with those who don’t.” – Marcus Aurelius
   I understood the first half early in life; the patience part came decades later. It saved my sanity.
6. “You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” – Harlan Ellison
   This one still echoes in my head. Ellison nailed it, guiding the uninformed toward understanding is far harder than I ever expected.
7. “Never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
   My personal motto for years. It served me well. These days, I mentally replace he with they, my enemies have been evenly distributed across genders.
8. “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” – Mark Twain
   Few things frustrate me more than people who proudly reject learning. Twain didn’t mince words, and neither should we.
9. “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’” – Isaac Asimov
   Perfectly sums up our current political climate. Tariffs, conspiracy theories, and all.
10. “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams
    This one changed everything for me. It reframed photography from capture to creation, and helped me see myself as an artist, not just an observer.

Closing Thoughts

These quotes have guided me through doubt, frustration, and joy. I don’t lean on them daily, but they’re always there when I need a nudge toward perspective or patience.

Lately, I find myself drifting toward Bob Marley’s wisdom instead:
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
I listen to a lot of music.