Humans of New York is the best page on Facebook. Brandon Stanton started photographing people on the streets of New York in 2010, and over the past five years, his portraits and captions have become the subject of a vibrant blog. HoNY provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of everyday people in New York City.
Here are a few quotes that are certain to awaken your soul.
"I want to be a mailman so I can help people know when it's their birthday."
"People confuse the source of their happiness. They become temporarily happy when they get a new car, or a new house, or a new marriage. And they think that they are suddenly happy because of this new thing in their life. In reality, they are happy because for a brief moment, they are without desire. But then soon another desire comes along. And the search continues."
“I had a child when I was sixteen. I got kicked out of high school because of all the absences. My family and community pretty much wrote me off. But right away I got a job at a sporting goods store. Soon I was able to get a job as a receptionist at a tax company, and they gave me enough responsibilities that I learned how to do taxes. Eventually I learned enough to become an associate. Then I got offered a job at a smaller company, and even though it was a pay cut, they offered me responsibility over all the books — accounts payable, accounts receivable, everything. It was less money but I wanted that experience so I took the risk. And I’m so glad I did, because six months later, the controller of that company left and I was given that position. They told me they couldn’t officially call me the controller because I didn’t have a college degree. So I finished my degree 5 months ago — just to make it official! So after having a child at sixteen, I made it all the way to controller of a company, without even having a college degree. Can you believe that? Honestly, I’ve been waiting to tell that story so long that I told it to a customer service representative on the phone last week. She was nice about it and pretended to care.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, and I won’t tell you what to do. That’s my motto. I have a lot of feelings about the decisions of my family members, but I don’t ever offer my opinion unless I’m asked. And that’s why I’m still invited to parties.”
“What’s your greatest struggle right now?” “No struggles.”
“What’s your greatest struggle right now?” “No struggles.”
“When I was 20, I made a plan to get a good job and be secure. Now I’m 35, and I need a plan to be happy.”
“I had four restaurants, a beautiful family, and a beautiful wife. I was healthy, rich, and successful. But I was unhappy. My success felt like an illusion, and I was so fearful that it would disappear that I began to have panic attacks. I was about to go to a shrink, but my friend convinced me to try Buddhism instead. That was five years ago. Now I chant for an hour and a half every morning. Many of the things that I feared ended up happening: I got involved in some lawsuits, I had to sell my vacation homes, I lost one of my restaurants. But the thing is-- I’m happier now than I was when I was more successful.”
“I had four restaurants, a beautiful family, and a beautiful wife. I was healthy, rich, and successful. But I was unhappy. My success felt like an illusion, and I was so fearful that it would disappear that I began to have panic attacks. I was about to go to a shrink, but my friend convinced me to try Buddhism instead. That was five years ago. Now I chant for an hour and a half every morning. Many of the things that I feared ended up happening: I got involved in some lawsuits, I had to sell my vacation homes, I lost one of my restaurants. But the thing is-- I’m happier now than I was when I was more successful.”
"After I finish my shift at the bakery, I start my shift at Starbucks. I work 95 hours per week at three different jobs. One of my sons graduated from Yale, and I have two more children in college. And when they finish, I want to go to college too. I want to be a Big Boss. I'm a boss at the bakery right now, but just a little boss. I want to be a Big Boss."
"Who's influenced you the most in your life?"
"My principal, Ms. Lopez."
"How has she influenced you?"
"When we get in trouble, she doesn't suspend us. She calls us to her office and explains to us how society was built down around us. And she tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter."
Humans of New York has more than 14 million followers on Facebook and has also become a #1 NYT bestselling book. Check out the website here: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/ and the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork.
Enjoy!
