Paper Bullets of the Brain

 Today's quote comes from Act 2, Scene 3, line 243 of Much Ado About Nothing: "these paper bullets of the brain." This quotation is not even a complete sentence, and yet it stuck out to me so much as I was reading this passage. These words are spoken by Benedick, who has just overheard Don Pedro and Claudio talking about Beatrice's love for Benedick, and at this specific moment, he is discovering that, despite his previous claims, he truly does want to be in love. This is when this phrase comes in: he is talking about "quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain," which will not prevent him from pursuing his newfound love. I think the reason this stuck out to me so much was that I realized that "paper bullets of the brain" is such an excellent way to describe our thoughts. All day long, our brains are racing with thousands of thoughts, and although they may seem harmless ("paper"), they are in fact more dangerous ("bullet") than we might recognize at first glance. Our thoughts have the power to do good and uplift ourselves and others, or to drag us down, so it's up to us to make sure that our "paper bullets of the brain" are positive bullets. Throughout this story, I think that Beatrice and Benedick are good examples of what happens when those "paper bullets of the brain" turn into words, as they allow their thoughts come through their mouths - for better, or for worse.

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