Belief is a wonderful way to pass the time until the facts come in.

truth heaven inspirational reality philosophy trust wisdom facts humor faith inspiration living god religion freedom intelligence time reading need intellect life-quotes spirituality values psychology angels morals philosophical wonderful expression humans divinity doubt deep-thoughts worship church sarcasm belief spirit evolution science wonder christianity morality laws atheism lord helping-others brain motivational-quotes wisdom-quotes theology evolve quotes believing opinion thinking needs cynical philosophy-of-life living-life viewpoint greatness immortal opinions ideas skepticism creator pessimism conviction debate loving-life stupidity law consciousness jokes human-beings truism heaven-and-hell aetheism nihilism idiots religious great-quotes satan savior quotes-to-live-by critical-thinking freedom-of-thought determinism free-will truth-of-life convictions humorous-quotations stupidity-of-man agnosticism pessimistic brainwashing arguments humorous-quotes atheist philosopher skeptic pragmatism theologians intellectuals blind-faith critical-thought religious-faith agnostic thinkers pragmatic religious-beliefs moral-philosophy intellectualism intelligent-men philosophy-of-religion science-vs-religion debates discourse moral-law intellectual truth-quotes original-sin religions skepticism-of-religion hell-on-earth philosophy-quotes atheists brainy-quotes wonders thinker factual allah discussion atheist-argument supreme-being nihilistic press brainwashed faith-quotes believers-in-god cynical-humor quotes-about-life almighty divine skeptical religion-and-science deity saviors worshipping faith-in-god believers the-lord belief-in-god reliance believe-in-god religion-and-philosophy the-creator atheism-quotes cults atheist-arguments informational values-in-life facts-of-life facts-wisdom life-quotes-and-sayings ideas-quotes quotes-on-life thinking-quotes doubts wisdom-quotations avatar agnostic-atheism agnostic-quotes agnostic-theism agnostics atheist-quotes belief-in-humanity believing-in-god brainwashed-religion brainwashed-society brainwashing-brainwashing-quotes celestial-being conviction-quotes critical-consciousness cults-of-personality cynical-quotes cynically-honest debates-about-religion deep-thinker deep-thinkers deep-thinking deity-of-christ divine-being doubts-about-religion doubts-quotes evolution-of-consciousness evolution-vs-creation evolution-vs-creationism evolution-vs-religion expand-your-mind expanding-evolving-consciousness facts-and-ideas facts-and-information facts-and-truths facts-of-the-matter facts-quotes facts-to-live-by facts-you-dont-want-to-know factuality faith-quotations free-will-quotes freedom-of-opinion freedom-of-the-press great-minds great-philosophers great-quotes-of-the-21st-century great-thinker great-thinkers great-thinkers-of-our-times heathen heathens heaven-on-earth heaven-quotes hell-quotes hobbies humor-and-belief humor-and-religion humor-quotes idiotic idiotic-people idiots-in-life idol info intellectual-quotes intelligence-quote intelligent-people jokes-about-religion laws-of-life legal legal-quotes monotheistic-religions moral-authority moral-quotes morality-quotes morality-without-religion need-to-be-true need-to-know nihilism-quotes nihilist nihilist-quotes non-believer non-believers non-believing opinions-about-religion opinions-of-people opinions-on-religion opinions-quotes pass-the-time passing-time peasants people-that-think pessimism-quotes pessimist popular-belief quotes-about-belief quotes-about-faith quotes-about-religion quotes-about-time quotes-by-great-minds quotes-on-religion religious-discussions religious-diversity religious-extremism religious-humor religious-tolerance rubes savior-quotes silly-beliefs skepticism-and-religion skeptics smart-people smart-quotes stupid-people stupidity-of-religion superhuman-being the-almighty the-godhead the-maker theology-quotes things-to-do things-to-live-by thinkers-of-our-time thinking-quotations truths-about-god truths-about-life truths-of-life want-to-be-true world-religions worship-god worship-of-god worshipping-god

It is usually unbearably painful to read a book by an author who knows way less than you do, unless the book is a novel.

knowledge heartbreak wisdom humor despair sadness pain heartache suffering joke learning novel grief books humour funny understanding awareness realization entertainment book torment sorrow writers escape misery understand narrative education comprehension fiction literature story writer appreciation perception stories ignorance humorous author authors quotes agony mastery know unhappiness scholarship accomplishment satire torture consciousness jokes escapism entertaining capability erudite enlightened aphorism quotations hilarious essay capacity cognition comprehend educated too-much distress skill essays schooling well-read ignorant desolation aphorisms knowledgeable cultivated cultured scholarly well-educated well-informed expertise nonfiction unbearable grasp entertain learned aphorist aphorists command erudition untaught discomfort uneducated narratives sustainable illiterate acceptable account accounts adeptness admissible apprehension be-acquainted-with be-conversant-with be-familiar-with be-up-to-speed-on be-versed-in benighted brookable cognizance endurable expertness have-a-grasp-of have-knowledge-of have-learned have-mastered have-memorized inexperienced insufferable insupportable intolerable knowledgable man-of-letters manageable men-of-letters overpowering proficiency sufferable supportable tolerable unacceptable unendurable unenlightened uninformed unknowledgeable unlearned unlettered unmanageable unread unschooled unsophisticated untrained untutored unworldly via-dolorosa woman-of-letters women-of-letters wretchedness

We are sometimes dragged into a pit of unhappiness by someone else’s opinion that we do not look happy.

happiness pleasure humor despair sadness pain heartache joy suffering joke sad grief humour funny broken-hearted torment sorrow contentment blue impression misery depression happy heartbroken hurting melancholy ecstasy satisfaction smiling unhappy humorous quotes agony face opinion opinions unhappiness satire miserable holes impressions enjoyment jokes cheerfulness tribulation euphoria faces aphorism quotations dejection depressed hilarious distress down delight well-being joyful bliss content satisfied desolation aphorisms blissful woe hole sunny lightheartedness exhilaration joyfulness merriment gloom euphoric woeful forlorn cheerful rapture anguish carefree despondency despondent delighted morose aphorist aphorists gloomy exuberance merry joyous lighthearted wretchedness gaiety on-top-of-the-world glee beatific elated despairing ecstatic chagrin mournful pleased gratified as-happy-as-a-clam beaming blissfulness blithe buoyant cheerless cheery chirpy contented dejected disconsolate dispirited doleful dolefulness down-at-the-mouth down-in-the-dumps down-in-the-mouth downcast downhearted elation exhilarated exultant gleeful gloominess glum glumness good-spirits grinning in-a-good-mood in-good-spirits in-seventh-heaven jocular jocund jollity jolly jovial joviality joyless jubilant jubilation jumping-for-joy long-faced low-spirits lugubrious malaise mournfulness on-a-high on-cloud-nine over-the-moon overjoyed pit pits radiant rapturous sorrowful the-blues thrilled tickled-pink transports-of-delight untroubled walking-on-air woebegone

Sooner or later, all talk among foreigners in Pyongyang turns to one imponderable subject. Do the locals really believe what they are told, and do they truly revere Fat Man and Little Boy? I have been a visiting writer in several authoritarian and totalitarian states, and usually the question answers itself. Someone in a café makes an offhand remark. A piece of ironic graffiti is scrawled in the men's room. Some group at the university issues some improvised leaflet. The glacier begins to melt; a joke makes the rounds and the apparently immovable regime suddenly looks vulnerable and absurd. But it's almost impossible to convey the extent to which North Korea just isn't like that. South Koreans who met with long-lost family members after the June rapprochement were thunderstruck at the way their shabby and thin northern relatives extolled Fat Man and Little Boy. Of course, they had been handpicked, but they stuck to their line.There's a possible reason for the existence of this level of denial, which is backed up by an indescribable degree of surveillance and indoctrination. A North Korean citizen who decided that it was all a lie and a waste would have to face the fact that his life had been a lie and a waste also. The scenes of hysterical grief when Fat Man died were not all feigned; there might be a collective nervous breakdown if it was suddenly announced that the Great Leader had been a verbose and arrogant fraud. Picture, if you will, the abrupt deprogramming of more than 20 million Moonies or Jonestowners, who are suddenly informed that it was all a cruel joke and there's no longer anybody to tell them what to do. There wouldn't be enough Kool-Aid to go round. I often wondered how my guides kept straight faces. The streetlights are turned out all over Pyongyang—which is the most favored city in the country—every night. And the most prominent building on the skyline, in a town committed to hysterical architectural excess, is the Ryugyong Hotel. It's 105 floors high, and from a distance looks like a grotesquely enlarged version of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco (or like a vast and cumbersome missile on a launchpad). The crane at its summit hasn't moved in years; it's a grandiose and incomplete ruin in the making. 'Under construction,' say the guides without a trace of irony. I suppose they just keep two sets of mental books and live with the contradiction for now.

I know for a fact that I would be awful if I was built like Serena Williams or Jennifer Lopez... If I had a body remotely close to what they have, I would be a terror. My ass would cause me to do really inappropriate and rude things. I'd be so ridiculous that people would be able to pick my labia out of a lineup. I'd wear zero clothes any- and everywhere, every day. I'd show up at church rocking a denim thong and a cropped T-shirt and have the nerve to sit right next to the head usher and dare her to say anything to me. And if anyone did say something to me, I'd tell them, "Jesus blessed me in many ways, and I am just showing off His works. HALLELUJAH." People would be disgusted and appalled by me and I wouldn't care. All insults would bounce off my ample backside. To whom much is given, much is required, and I'd require that my much would be given nary an inch of fabric. I'd hire a band whose sole job would be to follow me around and play theme music for my yansh, based on the mood I was in... I might opt to walk backwards into any room I entered, because why not?... I might also declare my booty its own limited liability corporation, assigning myself as CEO and chairman of the Donk. My jeans would be tax-deductible business expenses, and I would add my ass to my LinkedIn profile's Skills section. Everyone would throw hate ration in my dancery, and I wouldn't even see it, protected as I would be by the throne I sat atop.