Stupendous Stories: Fear

…and this has in part to do with the fact that people are under satiated in their desire for companionship or for friendship. And I think it's scary to then just fill that void with a digital simulacra, but I think the demand is there."

• Dwarkesh Patel, "What the Frontier Labs Know That We Don't", Interesting Times

One of the front wheels of the cart had gone wonky. What to do about it? Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold beyond anything they'd yet encountered.

• Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild.

• Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption

I started thinking about it. And there was this giant question mark. I love the design, for what it's worth, of this thing. And I started thinking, "Why haven't I opened it?"

• J.J. Abrams, "The Mystery Box"

“…these grinning men were someone’s brother, son, husband, father. They were human beings, people who took immense pleasure in the utter cruelty… Their cruelty made them feel good, it made them feel proud, it made them feel happy. And it made them feel closer to one another.”

- Adam Serwer, “The Cruelty Is the Point”

From the clear vein a stream immortal flowed,

Such stream as issues from a wounded god;

Pure emanation! uncorrupted flood;

Unlike our gross, diseased, terrestrial blood:

"I'm covered in blood but only some of it is mine I'll update yall later but i'm safe now"

"…the next day I'll wake up like trying to get out of PTSD of, like, people watching me. It's like I go through a weird phase where I feel like I'm being watched, but when you get over that, you'll be good."

"I no longer love blue skies. In fact, I now prefer grey skies… When the sky brightens, we live in fear."

- Zubair Rehman

Do not despair. Do not spare your enemies. There is nothing in the world that can hinder or harm us, for God is with us. Do not think our previous mistakes of any consequence, for there are still great things to be accomplished in the Indies.

- Jan Pieterszoon Coen