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