Shizuka Hiratsuka

“The present isn't everything, but there are things you can only do now, things you can only find here. It's now or never. Think, Writhe, Struggle and agonize. If not, what you are going through isn’t genuine.”

“Your impression of people is renewed every day. As you spend time with them and grow with them, you come to understand more.”

“People usually don't look back to see how far they've come while they're still walking. Of course, when they come to a standstill, the more progress they've made, the more betrayed they feel by their expectations.”

“It is impossible to not hurt someone. Humans unconsciously hurt others by simply existing. Whether you are alive or dead, you keep hurting people. Getting involved will hurt them, but trying not to get involved might hurt them too. But if it's someone you don't care about, you won't notice you've hurt them. What's important is your awareness of it. It's because you care about them, that you feel like you've hurt them. Caring about someone means being resolved to the fact that you'll hurt them. The more people care for each other, the farther out of reach certain things get. But that's not something to be sad about, I think it's probably something to be proud of.”

“People's thoughts don't always mirror how they feel. That's why they sometimes make decisions that seem nonsensical.”

“A person's mentality and feelings aren't always equal. There are times the conclusion you arrive at is completely irrational and the reason is because of that.”

“If you could calculate feelings, then we'd be in a digital age by now... The remaining answer that you couldn't calculate is what they call the feelings of people.”

“Don't understand? Then think more. If you can only think by calculating, then keep doing so until you can't. Think of all the answers you can and destroy them one by one with the process of elimination. Whatever remains is your answer.”

“Getting into trouble is not a bad thing. It's proof that someone is watching you.”