The catchphrase game

[Septentrionalis]

I don't have an answer but I wonder if 'bird' actually features in the solution.

I had the same idea, knowing that Sören is an artistic soul (look at the frame). So perhaps he picked these images for aesthetic and thematic effect.

I played around yesterday with the actions in these images. There is sitting or standing or being on top of something in the first image. Carrying or giving birth in the second, releasing in the third, flocking (being together?) in the forth, and hanging or being chained in the last one.

I couldn't figure out the answer though.

[Muizer]

I found one that might match:

"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains"

Quote by Jean Jacques Rousseau.

[Søren]

I don't have an answer but I wonder if 'bird' actually features in the solution. I wonder if it is perhaps a political mantra? The pics might add up to something like "one brings freedom, the many a chain" Closest quote I found yet is "Love brings freedom, loyalty (brings) slavery".

I was about to say you are about as close as you could be without having got it...

I found one that might match:

"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains"

Quote by Jean Jacques Rousseau.

...but you have now. Well done!

[Septentrionalis]

Well done both of you. That was a beautiful and insightful delivery by Sören, and a great catch by Muizer.

[Muizer]

That was a good riddle. Don't think I can measure up to it artistically. Anyway the next one exists in dutch. I've seen some translations into English but I tried to make it as literal as possible anyway.

[Kilo11]

Not sure. An initial guess of mine would be something like, "Trust is easy when you're saying goodbye". Not sure that's an expression though (or what that would exactly imply anyway).

[Muizer]

You're right about "trust". For the last two pics, focus on how they differ.

[Ältester der Motten]

Trust those who approach you relaxed and those who wave goodbye??

[Muizer]

nope, though you're right to identify direction of movement in 'approach' and 'goodbye'. Need a verb for both.

[Septentrionalis]

"Trust comes on foot and leaves on horseback" is a very accurate saying.

[Muizer]

"Trust comes on foot and leaves on horseback" is a very accurate saying.

Well done! That's the one.

[Septentrionalis]

[Septentrionalis]

This is a philosophy quotation and does not work linguistically. In other words, pictures do not directly represent words.

[Kilo11]

Clarification on your hint, Sept. Are you saying this quote is just some philosophical saying, or an actual quote from a philosopher?

[Septentrionalis]

Clarification on your hint, Sept. Are you saying this quote is just some philosophical saying, or an actual quote from a philosopher?

This is an actual quote from a philosopher, and as it has been unanswered for a while, we need a new hint. This is a quote from a philosopher in the classical antiquity. One of the big ones as far as I see it.

[Kilo11]

I know I'm the resident philosopher, but I've never been huge on history of philosophy. Even so though, I feel like I should be pulling more weight on this one. As such, I've done some digging and found a potential match. From Plato (reportedly):

"Reality is created by the mind. We change our reality by changing our mind."

[Septentrionalis]

That is close to the answer, but the focus should be on what the lady is going through in the pictures.

[Septentrionalis]

Okay, I better just let you know the answer. It is the Roman philosopher Seneca.

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality".

From letter thirteen of the Moral Letters to Lucilius, and here is the context:

4. There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality. I am not speaking with you in the Stoic strain but in my milder style. For it is our Stoic fashion to speak of all those things, which provoke cries and groans, as unimportant and beneath notice; but you and I must drop such great-sounding words, although, Heaven knows, they are true enough. What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled as if they were threatening you, will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come. 5. Accordingly, some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all. We are in the habit of exaggerating, or imagining, or anticipating, sorrow.

[Kilo11]

Ah, interesting. I was looking at Greeks more, and hadn't gotten to Romans yet.

I guess the floor is open to whoever has a riddle handy then.

[Søren]