What is this?
A mini interactive tribute to Jenny Holzer's Truisms made by Gina Trapani.
Sparked by a visit to Holzer's Light Line exhibit at the Guggenheim in New York City in 2024.
Made with hand-written HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Google Fonts, Zed, zertosh/jenny-holzer-truisms, and many Stack Overflow posts, MDN, and W3 docs. No frameworks, builds, AI, or best practices involved.
the new is nothing but a restatement of the old
sloppy thinking gets worse over time
the sum of your actions determines what you are
decadence can be an end in itself
you must disagree with authority figures
grass roots agitation is the only hope
when something terrible happens people wake up
a single event can have infinitely many interpretations
people are responsible for what they do unless they are insane
the only way to be pure is to stay by yourself
to disagree presupposes moral integrity
teasing people sexually can have ugly consequences
a positive attitude means all the difference in the world
deviants are sacrificed to increase group solidarity
your oldest fears are the worst ones
a sense of timing is the mark of genius
stupid people shouldn't breed
there's nothing redeeming in toil
the most profound things are inexpressible
all things are delicately interconnected
wishing things away is not effective
sometimes science advances faster than it should
looking back is the first sign of aging and decay
just believing something can make it happen
the idea of revolution is an adolescent fantasy
abuse of power comes as no surprise
extreme behavior has its basis in pathological psychology
you have to hurt others to be extraordinary
giving free rein to your emotions is an honest way to live
survival of the fittest applies to men and animals
opacity is an irresistible challenge
a solid home base builds a sense of self
people who go crazy are too sensitive
description is more important than metaphor
it's just an accident that your parents are your parents
illness is a state of mind
offer very little information about yourself
awful punishment awaits really bad people
believing in rebirth is the same as admitting defeat
it's better to study the living fact than to analyze history
murder has its sexual side
humanism is obsolete
a lot of professionals are crackpots
the idea of transcendence is used to obscure oppression
every achievement requires a sacrifice
relativity is no boon to mankind
routine small excesses are worse than then the occasional debauch
remember you always have freedom of choice
even your family can betray you
dying and coming back gives you considerable perspective
the desire to reproduce is a death wish
being happy is more important than anything else
romantic love was invented to manipulate women
morals are for little people
threatening someone sexually is a horrible act
it's vital to live in harmony with nature
private property created crime
you must be intimate with a token few
most people are not fit to rule themselves
violence is permissible even desirable occasionally
often you should act like you are sexless
enjoy yourself because you can't change anything anyway
artificial desires are despoiling the earth
you should study as much as possible
war is a purification rite
in some instances it's better to die than to continue
action causes more trouble than thought
ambivalence can ruin your life
it's better to be lonely than to be with inferior people
eating too much is criminal
killing is unavoidable but nothing to be proud of
it is man's fate to outsmart himself
faithfulness is a social not a biological law
spending too much time on self-improvement is antisocial
recluses always get weak
you don't know what's what until you support yourself
you must have one grand passion
it's not good to operate on credit
the mundane is to be cherished
government is a burden on the people
playing it safe can cause a lot of damage in the long run
abstraction is a type of decadence
everyone's work is equally important
lack of charisma can be fatal
raise boys and girls the same way
a little knowledge can go a long way
selflessness is the highest achievement
people are nuts if they think they are important
random mating is good for debunking sex myths
class structure is as artificial as plastic
to volunteer is reactionary
being judgmental is a sign of life
imposing order is man's vocation for chaos is hell
redistributing wealth is imperative
it's crucial to have an active fantasy life
repetition is the best way to learn
confusing yourself is a way to stay honest
elaboration is a form of pollution
separatism is the way to a new beginning
you can understand someone of your sex only
sterilization is a weapon of the rulers
a strong sense of duty imprisons you
bad intentions can yield good results
don't place to much trust in experts
we must make sacrifices to maintain our quality of life
ideals are replaced by conventional goals at a certain age
slipping into madness is good for the sake of comparison
it is heroic to try to stop time
expressing anger is necessary
dreaming while awake is a frightening contradiction
a relaxed man is not necessarily a better man
decency is a relative thing
talking is used to hide one's inability to act
leisure time is a gigantic smoke screen
dying should be as easy as falling off a log
physical culture is second best
you are responsible for constituting the meaning of things
you are a victim of the rules you live by
with perseverance you can discover any truth
absolute submission can be a form of freedom
freedom is a luxury not a necessity
old friends are better left in the past
going with the flow is soothing but risky
money creates taste
you are the past present and future
taking a strong stand publicizes the opposite position
it can be helpful to keep going no matter what
ensure that your life stays in flux
the unattainable is invariable attractive
ignoring enemies is the best way to fight
the idiosyncratic has lost its authority
drama often obscures the real issues
disorganization is a kind of anesthesia
animalism is perfectly healthy
strong emotional attachment stems from basic insecurity
guilt and self-laceration are indulgences
children are the most cruel of all
technology will make or break us
a sincere effort is all you can ask
dependence can be a meal ticket
you can't fool others if you're fooling yourself
labor is a life-destroying activity
self-contempt can do more harm than good
anger or hate can be a useful motivating force
any surplus is immoral
it's better to be naive than jaded
class action is a nice idea with no substance
unquestioning love demonstrates largesse of spirit
there's nothing except what you sense
rechanneling destructive impulses is a sign of maturity
fear is the greatest incapacitator
pain can be a very positive thing
starvation is nature's way
manual labor can be refreshing and wholesome
words tend to be inadequate
go all out in romance and let the chips fall where they may
if you live simply there is nothing to worry about
symbols are more meaningful than things themselves
politics is used for personal gain
low expectations are good protection
occasionally principles are more valuable than people
sex differences are here to stay
sometimes things seem to happen of their own accord
ambition is just as dangerous as complacency
being sure of yourself means you're a fool
solitude is enriching
people are boring unless they are extremists
true freedom is frightful
anything is a legitimate area of investigation
change is valuable when the oppressed become tyrants
extreme self-consciousness leads to perversion
if you have many desires your life will be interesting
unique things must be the most valuable
everything that's interesting is new
automation is deadly
crime against property is relatively unimportant
you can't expect people to be something they're not
moderation kills the spirit
myth can make reality more intelligible
it's not good to hold too many absolutes
it's important to stay clean on all levels
thinking too much can only cause problems
expiring for love is beautiful but stupid
potential counts for nothing until it's realized
self-awareness can be crippling
an elite is inevitable
fake or real indifference is a powerful personal weapon
mostly you should mind your own business
selfishness is the most basic motivation
disgust is the appropriate response to most situations
timidity is laughable
sin is a means of social control
knowledge should be advanced at all costs
revolution begins with changes in the individual
religion causes as many problems as it solves
your actions ae pointless if no one notices
sacrificing yourself for a bad cause is not a moral act
routine is a link with the past
it's good to give extra money to charity
push yourself to the limit as often as possible
pursuing pleasure for the sake of pleasure will ruin you
using force to stop force is absurd
the cruelest disappointment is when you let yourself down
children are the hope of the future
resolutions serve to ease our conscience
torture is barbaric
it's better to be a good person than a famous person
at times inactivity is preferable to mindless functioning
good deeds eventually are rewarded
people won't behave if they have nothing to lose
knowing yourself lets you understand others
nothing upsets the balance of good and evil
inheritance must be abolished
loving animals is a substitute activity
being alone with yourself is increasingly unpopular
chasing the new is dangerous to society
categorizing fear is calming
humor is a release
at times your unconsciousness is truer than your conscious mind
hiding your emotions is despicable
you can live on through your descendants
you must know where you stop and the world begins
if you aren't political your personal life should be exemplary
fathers often use too much force
it is a gift to the world not to have babies
the world operates according to discoverable laws
men are not monogamous by nature
listen when your body talks
a name means a lot just by itself
people who don't work with their hands are parasites
keep something in reserve for emergencies
planning for the future is escapism
you owe the world not the other way around
alienation produces eccentrics or revolutionaries
emotional responses are as valuable as intellectual responses
the family is living on borrowed time
exceptional people deserve special concessions
if you can't leave your mark give up
salvation can't be bought and sold
holding back protects your vital energies
calm is more conductive to creativity than is anxiety
boredom makes you do crazy things
trading a life for a life is fair enough
there are too few immutable truths today
a man can't know what it is to be a mother
mothers shouldn't make too many sacrifices
stasis is a dream state
much was decided before you were born
habitual contempt doesn't reflect a finer sensibility
noise can be hostile
you are guileless in your dreams
monomania is a prerequisite of success
worrying can help you prepare