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