“What makes us human is that we’re the only creatures on this planet that can fuck ourselves.” – The Sympathizer – Viet Thanh Nguyen

I finished reading The Sympathizer, which I enjoyed more than I even anticipated.

I reflect on how precarious dealings can be (much like life itself). Somehow the subconscious mind seems to know the instability of certain things as well as what can be counted on. It understands on some deeper level when things are working and when they aren’t and thus doesn’t allow you to make any real plans and commitments that hinge in any way on anything that betrays the slightest instability or vacillation. It adopts a brisk, yet sympathetic, ‘moving right along’ mentality: low stress, high success. Ready for anything. Still, though, still – eminently able to fuck ourselves.