"An Intimate History of Humanity" [.]

[fiefoe]

I first learned about Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery from Len Fisher's book, and it turns out that Zeldin is its co-founder. No wonder his food-related musings ring true. "Every people puts its own scent on its food, and it accepts change only if it can conceal the change from itself, by smothering each novelty in its scent. Optimism about change..., is only possible if this premise is accepted."

• The noble savage was seldom sober.
• Greed and altruism were once enemies, desire and abstinence were once the only alternatives. But desire can find its consummation in generosity, and greed in curiosity.
• Creativity is the application of the feminine side of men.
• It is not ideals that the world is short of, but methods to stop them becoming a sham, a lie.
  
• The future was effectively put on the map as a foreign country, needing foreign eyes to explain it. So whereas in the Western world astrology was perceived as an Eastern discovery, in the East it spread as a Western science.
• Reformers intent on changing humanity's habits have made the same mistake again and again, forgetting that new habits of mind cannot be put on like a clean shirt.
• Little fears are useful if they protect against big ones.
• But no happiness is complete if it is selfish. Being of no use to anybody implies self-contempt,
• The idea of a sense of identity was invented for people who wanted the world to be less complicated.
• One can never be interesting enough to be the sole object of one's own attention.
• It has been said that for those who 'feel', life is a tragedy and for those who 'think', it is a comedy. There is no need to live only half a life. For those who both think and feel, life is an adventure.
  
• Once people see themselves as influencing one another, they cannot be merely victims:
• Gloom has even acquired a dusky charm for some,
• But courage invariably leads to unexpected results; that is what defines it, the willingness to meet the unexpected.
  
• People have gone to great lengths to prevent compassion disturbing their other priorities. All sorts of philosophies and prejudices have been like chastity belts, keeping it firmly under control.
• 'Pretending' is self-conscious delight in alternative possibilities, and appreciation of the fact that no victory is final.
• The world was passing through a hypochondriac phase of history, dominated by the sense of sin, or guilt, or shame, and unceasing complaints that humans were inadequate, unable to reach divine perfection. Love worked no worse and no better than other folkloric medicines in making them feel better.
• ... valuing sickness as a sign of sensitivity. Hypochondria diluted fear with hope, and provided an alternative way to Know Thyself.
  

haruspication

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