Top Ten Quotes (Part 1)

1. “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” –Serious Black

This quote is not only one of my favorite quotes, but one of the world’s favorite quotes as well. A simple google image search will tell you that. But why is it so popular? I think that it has gained its fame because at some point in our lives we have been talked down, used, or abused by a superior and wished that the world saw them in their true light. It also teaches us that we must always look at how we treat others, no matter who they are or where they come from. Don’t be a Barty Crouch, respect each other.

 2.“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” – Albus Dumbledore (Find this wall decal on Etsy)

This quote is one that I love because it speaks to the weakness inside of me. It reminds that voice inside of my head that I don’t have to go through my pain alone, it is not a cross that I alone must bear. It gives me hope that, if I ask, those that love me will be there to help me in my times of need. It also reminds me that I am never alone, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home carry me through.

3.“Percy wouldn't notice a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing one of Dobby's hats.” – Fred and George Weasley

When I read this I broke out in laughter, not because of the joke itself, but because I, like Percy, often miss jokes. I am even worse at telling jokes! I will tell a joke that people understand but don’t think is funny so they won’t laugh. I take their lack of laughing to mean that they didn’t understand so I proceed to explain it which makes it even less funny.

4.“It is my belief... that the truth is generally preferable to lies.” – J.K. Rowling (Find this necklace on Etsy)

When you were little did your parents ever say “If you tell me the truth you will be in less trouble.” Did you than think “You LIAR!!” and proceed to lie anyway? I know that this happened to me on multiple occasions as a child and tween. I didn’t understand that they weren’t lying until I started to work at a daycare and I found myself saying the exact same thing. I would see a child being rude to another child and I would give them the chance to come clean to me and get by with just a warning the first time. In the majority of cases they would tell the truth but every now and then there would be the brat that would lie to me and wind themselves in time out for not only being mean to another kid, but for lying to me when I told them that the truth would set them free.

5.“It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up.” – J.K. Rowling

Ever since I read 100 Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez I have been fascinated by the idea of time. I know that I will do more posts about time in the future but this basic idea is one that both fascinates and frustrates me. I am currently waiting to hear back about a job and the days could not slip by slower if they were molasses. On the other end of the spectrum I think about the day that my parents and sister will pass and I realize that the time I spend with them is too short and far between and it pushes me to make more time for them even though I no longer live at home and I’m so busy.

NovelTea: Loving the Beast Within

“I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth botherin’ with.’ An’ he was right.”

In chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire we find out that Hagrid is part giant, a secret he rarely shared because of the reputation of giants as being brutal and murderous. We also saw that Madam Maxime, who is clearly like Hagrid, was so ashamed of that side of her that she outright refused to admit that she was part giant. In chapter 24 Rita Skeeter wrote an article about Hagrid, causing him to go into hiding for fear of being hated by the students and their parents. Finally, by the conclusion of the chapter, he comes to terms with the fact that he is what he is and people will still be able to love him.

The task of believing that you are worth loving and then loving yourself is one that we all have to work through. I appreciate that Rowling presented this issue in one of the most loved characters, showing us that no one is exempt from this issue, not even me. She also provides us with, not a solution, but hope. 

Let me know in the comments about a time when you have seen this happen, either in yourself, or in someone else.