Finding flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Quotes IX

-Our lives will live a mark on the universe.
-One cannot lead a life that is truly excellent without feeling that one belongs to something greater and more permanent than oneself.
-Individualism and materialism have almost completely prevailed over allegiance to the community and to spiritual values.
-More and more, we seem to bury our heads in the sand to avoid hearing bad news, withdrawing into gated communities protected by armed response. But a good personal life is impossible without staying aloof of a corrupt society, as Socrates knew and those who have lived under recent dictatorships have found out. It would be so much easier if we were responsible only for ourselves. Unfortunately, things don't work that way. An active responsibility for the rest of humankind and for the world of which we are a part, is a necessary ingredient of a good life.
-Act always as if the future of the Universe depended on what you did, while laughing at yourself for thinking that whatever you do makes any difference.
-It is this serious playfulness, this combination of concern and humility that makes it possible to be both engaged and carefree at the same time.
-If a man develops a self-image based on power, or wealth, there are no limits to his exertions. He will pursue the goal set by the self relentlessly, even if he has to ruin his health in the process, even if he has to destroy other people along the way.
-It is possible then to separate those needs that really help us to navigate through life, from those malignant growths that sprout from them and make our lives miserable.
-Once we realize what our demons are, we need not fear them any longer. Instead of taking them seriously, we can smile with compassion at the arrogance of these fruits of our imagination. We don't have to feed their ravenous hunger except on our own terms, when to do so helps us achieve something worthwhile.
-A simple way of improving the quality of life is to take ownership of one's actions.
-Many people spend their entire lives feeling like puppets who move only because their strings are pulled. Under these conditions we are likely to feel that our psychic is wasted. So the question is why don't we want to do more things? The sheer act of wanting focuses attention, establishes priority in consciousness, and thus creates a sense of inner harmony.
-Nor merely bear what is necessary, but love it.
-The quality of life is much improved if we learn to love what we have to do.
-In creating a good life, it is not enough to strive for enjoyable goals, but also to choose goals that will reduce the sum total of entropy in the world.