When I first read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde in my teens, I, just like everyone else, realized immediately that the guy's a freaking genius. Since then I've stumbled upon various quotes by him, my favorites of which include:
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Never love anyone who treats you like you're ordinary.
But watching Mr. Harrigan's Phone yesterday, I heard a new one, and it instantly became my new favorite:
When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.
That is exactly right. People don't want what they want; they want the pursuit of what they want. They think they want their desires handed to them on a plate, but nothing ever feels good unless you feel like you've earned it. The feeling of having achieved everything you set out to achieve in life is the definition of hell.
Don't pray for what you want; pray for guidance, strength, faith - anything but the end goal you're working towards. (And completely discard the dilemma of punishment through getting the supportive thing you decided to pray for.)
RK
