A friend once asked me why I care so much about whatever is happening around the world, all the time. It is a genuine question. Maybe it is because I grew up knowing nothing at all about the outside world. In a sense, I am simply trying to catch up—learn more about why some things are the way they are, and understand some of the things I saw while growing up. Or perhaps it is a way to prepare for all that I have to face in the future. I still do not have a very specific answer.

A few lines left a deep impact on me, to the point where I got goosebumps while reading them. They shaped my thinking, forced me to reconsider my beliefs, and provided a sense of direction when I needed it the most.

Educated by Tara Westover

I read the book for the second time recently. It surprised me because I registered a lot of new information that did not strike me as remarkable when I first read it three years ago.

It is a beautifully written memoir about the author’s quest for an “education.” What struck me most was how much family systems can aid a person’s growth or hamper it. It is a story of incredible resilience: her journey to BYU, and eventually to Cambridge and Harvard, despite never having finished high school, seems almost absurd.

The past was a ghost, insubstantial, unaffecting. Only the future had weight.

I began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think of things besides money.

It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you.

Bitter Wormwood by Easterine Kire

“All of history can be written in two small words: Challenge and Response.” Think about that for a moment. Isn’t it beautiful?

The book is written simply, but some of the lines hit home. Bitter Wormwood follows the life of a person from boyhood to old age—a simple life in the village, growing up to join a movement marked by bloody conflicts, and ultimately losing community life as he knew it. Words can be really powerful, and this book is a prime example of that.

If life is hard to you, you simply harden yourself so its griefs are easier to bear. That is the only way to meet it.

Not many remembered what the women had done to keep their families alive in those dark years. Because war was men’s business, not women’s.

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

Trevor writes about his experience of growing up in South Africa. I expected the book to be hilarious since he’s a comedian, and he delivered. But that is only one aspect of the book. There are so many impactful lines in it.

They shaped my understanding of relationships, ambition, and how to look out for myself.

Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.

People are getting hurt, and just because it’s not happening to you doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to. “What if …” “If only …” “I wonder what would have …” You will never, never know, and it will haunt you for the rest of your days.

There are so many others. But these are some of the most impactful ones. Last I checked, I had collected about 650 highlights across 34 books. Maybe I’ll share some of them in the future.

And yeah, you should totally re-read books because the second reading will give you a new perspective. It is also faster the second time if that was ever a concern.