A modern artist on fear management (and more)

Jenny Holzer is one of the most interesting modern artists in the world. She combines words with visual effects in a striking manner. In this Memo, discover 9 thought-provoking aphorisms from her most famous work, Truisms. Insights on managing expectations, hate, and more 👇

On using hate: "ANGER OR HATE CAN BE A USEFUL MOTIVATING FORCE." Anger, hate, resentment - these can be useful emotions. They can fuel action.

On fear management: "CATEGORIZING FEAR IS CALMING." Fear is, in part, a loss of control. To categorize is a uniquely human way to reassert one's control over one's surroundings and one's fate. Therefore categorizing is an antidote to fear.

Managing expectations: "A SINCERE EFFORT IS ALL YOU CAN ASK." Things often don't pan out the way we expect them to, because our expectations are tied to outcome while all people can control is their personal effort.

Submission can lead to freedom: "ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION CAN BE A FORM OF FREEDOM." This is a head-scratcher. Perhaps an example could help. As the freedom to criticize one's partner comes after committing to them, we are often meaningfully free only in a binding setup.

On abstraction: "ABSTRACTION IS A TYPE OF DECADENCE." Generalizations are helpful but they can also become an easy escape from the concrete details of the actual world.

Power tends to concentrate: "ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE. AN ELITE IS INEVITABLE."

Choice is inescapable: "AMBIVALENCE CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE." In his thought-provoking novel The Dice Man, Luke Rhineheart writes: "He who sits on a fence, gets it up his ass."

Being judgemental is underrated: "BEING JUDGMENTAL IS A SIGN OF LIFE." To judge, we must have standards. To have standards, we must have at least a basic grasp of good and bad, of acceptable and unacceptable, and so on. The dead rock can't judge, the live human can and shoudl.

Pay attention to your emotions: "EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AR AS VALUABLE AS INTELLECTUAL RESPONSES." Our emotions and gut reactions have been honed by millions of years of evolution to give us quick and relevant information about every situation. We ignore them at our peril!