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