A question for my question

I was sitting in my English 2 class today watching some more of my classmates' presentations on different authors. Even though I was really tired from staying up late working on math problems the night before, I was genuinely impressed by what I learned about these few different authors. The first author presented was Mark Twain. You could spend days researching everything this man has said. Everything he said was phrased with such cleverness and wit.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

This was one of Mark Twain's more sincere quotes, but still very wise and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it and I hope to keep it in mind whenever I am unsure of taking a risk. :)

The second author was Jodi Picoult. She's a contemporary author, who I've never paid much attention to, honestly. I recognized her name from the previews for the movie "My Sister's Keeper", which is based on her novel with the same title. My classmate shared two quotes that I found exceptionally smart.

"Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it." - Jodi Picoult

"Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them." - Jodi Picoult

The first quote made me smile. =o) I think most people would like to believe that their lives have greater meaning than just the daily routine that is usually carried out. Sometimes we don't know how much we are actually capable of until we are faced with a situation that demands us to give everything that's inside of us.

The second quote struck a nerve in me, because I've always been admirable of loners. I've always found their independence and confidence to be interesting. I've never really stopped to think about why someone may have become a loner. Now I realized that maybe they were molded that way instead of born that way? I always assumed that there was some rare strength in their personality that caused them not to crave other people's acceptance or companionship. After hearing that quote, it kind of reminded me that even though some people are more independent than others; they are still human and must require some type of human affection - no matter how unapparent that need may seem.

I've maybe reevaluated what I think of when I think of "strength". Humans are definitely not unfeeling, indestructible robots, so why would I think more highly of someone with the emotional tendencies of a robot? Lol. =o) I guess everyone wants to put on a strong face for the world to see. Maybe that is what is expected of us in some way? I wish I could end these blog entries with groundbreaking conclusions to the questions I ask myself, but I guess here's another entry ended with another question. ;)