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June 25th, 2000. "Reality." "Nothing exists per se except atoms and the void." (Lucretius.) "For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are." (Macaulay's "Machiavelli.") "Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. ... By closing the eyes and slumbering, and consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundations. ... Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downward through the mud and slush of opinion, and prejudice and tradition, and delusion, and appearance, that alluvion which covers the globe ... till we come to a hard bottom of rocks in place, which we can call reality." (Thoreau, Walden, 1854.) [Top] [Archives] [To Blupete's Essays] [Thoughts & Quotes of blupete] [Home] Peter Landry June, 2000 (2019)