It's always something here - if there isn't a riot, then someone's usually trying to escape. The wasted effort helps me see the positives of imprisonment. Unlike those pulling their hair out in good society, here we don't have to feel ashamed of our day-to-day unhappiness. Here we have someone visible to blame - someone wearing shiny boots. That's why, on consideration, freedom leaves me cold. Because out there in the real world, freedom means you have to admit authorship, even when your story turns out to be a real stinker. Steve Toltz
About This Quote

At the time of his release, Nelson Mandela's thoughts were focused on the positives. He was released from prison and had a reason to get up and be happy about being free. However, he also explains how he spent his time in prison. He sees people's unhappiness as being due to their inability to accept responsibility for their actions. At the same time, the ones who are happy are those who feel they have done something wrong, so they can feel certain that they deserve to be free.

Source: A Fraction Of The Whole

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  1. ...I wondered if it was blasphemous to tell God that rainbows are kitsch.

  2. It's always something here - if there isn't a riot, then someone's usually trying to escape. The wasted effort helps me see the positives of imprisonment. Unlike those pulling their hair out in good society, here we don't have to feel ashamed of our day-to-day...

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  5. … she gave me a look that deftly combined tenderness with revulsion. To this day the memory of that look still visits me like a Jehovah’s Witness: uninvited and tireless.

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