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