Category Quotes

“The language of categories is affectionately known as "abstract nonsense," so named by Norman Steenrod. This term is essentially accurate and not necessarily derogatory: categories refer to "nonsense" in the sense that they are all about the "structure," and not about the "meaning," of what they represent.”

“There are two different categories of love. The first category is called a fairytale. The second category of love is called just another lesson”

“Intelligence is a moral category.”

“Intelligence is not a moral category.”

“There are three categories of people exist in the world; “the wanters”, “the wishers” and “the makers.”

“When one of the emperors of China asked Bodhidharma (the Zen master who brought Zen from India to China) what enlightenment was, his answer was, “Lots of space, nothing holy.” Meditation is nothing holy. Therefore there’s nothing that you think or feel that somehow gets put in the category of “sin.” There’s nothing that you can think or feel that gets put in the category of “bad.” There’s nothing that you can think or feel that gets put in the category of “wrong.” It’s all good juicy stuff—the manure of waking up, the manure of achieving enlightenment, the art of living in the present moment.”

“How do you even speak of, let alone propose regulation of, [any] category [so] full of internal contradictions? . . . Maybe, like so many other things, it is a language problem.”

“To use language is to enter into the territory of categories, which are as necessary as they are dangerous.”

“Women's fiction is just a marketing category, designed to appeal more to women than to men. But there are stories in that category that any human being would like.”

“I would like to outsmart the role that is destined for me. But I can't. I have failed to destroy my category.”