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humanism is obsolete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