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The Tibetan missionaries in their mood of bright confidence disconcerted the imperial governments by laughing the new movement into frustration. For a sham faith cannot stand ridicule.

Olaf Stapledon

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Olaf Stapledon
Age: 64 †
Born: 1886
Born: May 10
Died: 1950
Died: September 6
Paramedic
Peace Activist
Philosopher
Science Fiction Writer
Writer
Cannot
Governments
Government
Bright
Disconcerted
Mood
Sham
Confidence
Missionaries
Laughing
Imperial
Movement
Tibetan
Stand
Ridicule
Faith
Frustration

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I loathe the urchin's cruelty to the cat, but I will not loathe the urchin. I loathe Hitler's mass-torturing, but not Hitler and the money-man's heartlessness, but not the man. I love the swallow's flight, and I love the swallow the urchin's gleam of tenderness, and the urchin.
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It seemed to me that I, the spirit of so many worlds, the flower of so many ages, was the Church Cosmical, fit at last to be the bride of God. But instead I was blinded and seared and struck down by terrible light.
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That strange blend of the commercial traveller, the missionary and the barbarian conqueror, which was the American abroad.
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Philosophy is an amazing tissue of really fine thinking and incredible, puerile mistakes. It's like one of those rubber 'bones' they give dogs to chew, damned good for the mind's teeth, but as food - no bloody good at all.
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Barren, barren and trivial are these words. But not barren the experience.
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