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