Ben Okri Quotes

And he remembered only because he didn't want to have to go through it all over again, making all the mistakes of his confusion.

When you make sense of something, it tends to disappear. It is only mystery which keeps things alive

He thought about how the camera makes one fall in love with an image of oneself, and perpetuates a false reality.

The antimony on their features was set on silvery fire by the intensity of the moon. And their bodies, solid and quivering and half-naked, were like ancient memories of a mystical time without boundaries when it was possible to enter the consciousness of a cornseed and foretell the harvest to come.

"Can you understand what the rats are saying?"
"No. But I can kill them."
"Why?"
"Because they are never satisfied. They are like bad politicians and imperialists and rich people."
"How?"
"They eat up property. They eat up everything in sight. And one day when they are very hungry they will eat us up."

When you stop inventing reality then you see things as they really are.

A dream can be the highest point of a life.

After a while, when nothing happened, when no reprisals fell on us, it seemed that nothing significant had happened. Some of us began to distrust our memories. We began to think that we had collectively dreamt up the fevers of that night. It wouldn’t be the first or the last time. Meanwhile, the river of wild jaguars flowed below the surface of our hungry roads.

inverse of the word live is evil.

"That's good. Life is full of riddles that only the dead can answer," was Dad's reply.

In a world where no one listens, where no one seems to care, where hatred is greater than love, where hearts are hardened by vengeance and pride, where violence is preferable to peace, what else is there for him to do but heal the wounded, and bury the dead, in a war that could go on forever?

He danced there like an overturned centipede.

Besides, you are seeking something you have already found, but don't know it. Such are the causes of unhappiness.

Responsibility is active. Vigilant. Actions become character and character becomes destiny. . .the moment you see something is wrong, you have a responsibility.

Be like the tortoise- grow a hard shell to protect your strong heart. Be like the eagle- soar above your pain and carry the banner and the wonder of our lives to the farthest corners of the world. Build your strength. Destiny is difficult.