My Favorite Quotes and their Origins

It was the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who said this, but despite having read Nietzsche extensively when younger, this one was new to me until recently. The first thing what sprung to my mind as I read the this Nietzsche quote, was a modern Christian hymn called 'The Lord of the Dance' by Sidney Carter.

You can hear a superb recording of it, and read the full lyrics at the same time, in the YouTube video on the right.  Plus enjoy a second, more country / Irish style version below it. Just two quotations from the lyrics itself, to show you that the idea of a dancing God is existing in Christianity. Here an excerpt of the lyrics, to give you a first impression of the song:

I danced in the morning when the world was begun, And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun, And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth, At Bethlehem I had my birth.

They cut me down and I leapt up high, I am the life that'll never, never die I'll live in you if you'll live in me;

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.

A bit more of a serious one, and as at the same time a sad one because less and less people actually do read nowadays. One tip, if you want your children to read, the Harry Potter books are proven miracle workers for this – nearly magic ;-) As for the creator of the quote, Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman that lived from 1818-1895. He was born a slave and, after having escaped from slavery, became in 1872 the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States. More of his story can be found in the Wikipedia article referenced below. Learning to read opened his eyes and mind for the value of freedom and was the first step for him on his way, not only to, personal freedom, but also on his way of becoming a freedom fighter for others. What did you read today? BTW, the video on the right is one version of the famous German freedom song 'Die Gedanken sind Frei' which translates to 'Thoughts are Free!'

Taken from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry world famous book 'The little Prince', this quote reminds me always to the fact that children aren't just 'not-grown-ups', but person and personalities in their own right and with their own world views. Instead of interrogating them, perhaps it would be a good idea to listen to them and to make an effort to understand their world and perception first. If you want to be reminded of this wonderful and wonder-some way to see the world, the book at the right, from which the quote was taken, is a great way to re-vive your inner child.