Good morning, digital neighbors! Happy Monday to all you scattered wanderers and seekers on the internet. One of my favorite little books is Oxymoronica—I think I purchased a copy of it in the early 2000s. I have always loved books of quotes, and this seemed like a fun addition to my library. From the introduction:

“Oxymoronica?” you might be thinking. “What’s that?” While you surely know what an oxymoron is, oxymoronica is probably a new word to you. You won’t find it in any dictionary (at least not yet) because I came up with it only when I sat down to write this book. In coining oxymoronica, I was inspired by words you may know:

Erotica. Literature or art that is intended to arouse sexual desire.

Exotica. Things that are curiously unusual or excitingly strange.

Playing off these words, I use the word oxymoronica to describe quotations that contain incompatible or incongruous elements. Many examples of oxymoronica appear illogical or self-contradictory on the surface. But at a deeper level, they usually make a great deal of sense and are often profoundly true.

— Grothe, Mardy. Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths – 1,400 Thought-Provoking Quotations for Language Lovers

A few quotes from the book should suffice for a Monday morning. Have a great day, dear neighbor!

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” — Mark Twain (attributed, but never verified)

“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free.” — P. J. O’Rourke

“There is only one thing about which I am certain, and that is that there is very little about which one can be certain.” — W. Somerset Maugham

Winter Sunrise - Ales Krivec - Unsplash