I will forever be grateful to my oncologist for opening the door and saying, 'Damn it, the tumor's 10 percent bigger,' before he even said hello. David Rakoff More Quotes by David Rakoff More Quotes From David Rakoff Altruism is innate, but it's not instinctual. Everybody's wired for it, but a switch has to be flipped. David Rakoff flipped altruism innate Have you ever had one of those moments when you know that you're being visited by your own future? They come so rarely and with little fanfare, those moments. They're not particularly photogenic. There's no breach in the clouds to reveal the shining city on a hill. No folk dancing children outside your bus, no production values to speak of- just a glimpse of such quotidian, incontrovertible truth that after the initial shock at the supreme weirdness of it all, a kind of calm sets in. So this is to be my life. David Rakoff cities clouds children You can't win all the contests and then lose at one contest and say, 'Why am I not winning this contest as well?' It's random. So truthfully, again, do I wish it weren't me? Absolutely. I still can't make that logistic jump to thinking there's a reason why it shouldn't be me. David Rakoff wish winning thinking I had a tumor. But it was great. David Rakoff tumors Almost any age is better than twenty-two. David Rakoff twenties age two If psychoanalysis was late 19th century secular Judaism’s way of finding spiritual meaning in a post-religious world, and retail is the late 20th century’s way of finding spiritual meaning in a post-religious world, what does it mean that I’m impersonating the father of psychoanalysis in a store window to commemorate a religious holiday? David Rakoff religious spiritual father I am neither spontaneous nor ready for anything. David Rakoff spontaneous ready spontaneity One of the marks of a life well lived has to be reaching a state of finally getting it, of not needing more, and of being able to sign off with something approaching peace of mind. David Rakoff reaching able mind New York is breaking my heart. I’ve often said that it’s like having a really interesting boyfriend suddenly becoming really, really into wine, and having to have endless conversations about it. David Rakoff wine new-york heart I do not go outdoors. Not more than I have to. As far as I'm concerned, the whole point of living in New York City is indoors. You want greenery? Order the spinach. David Rakoff cities new-york order I find life itself provides ample and sufficient tests of my valor and mettle: illness; betrayal; fruitless searches for love; working for the abusive, the insane, and the despotic. All challenges easily as thrilling to me as scrambling over icy rock in a pair of barely adequate boots. David Rakoff betrayal rocks challenges Simplicity, it seems, has always been wasted on those who simply cannot appreciate it David Rakoff simplicity appreciate inspiration I have so little control over the act of writing that it's all I can do to remain conscious. David Rakoff conscious writing littles I am going to the bad place, as is my wont. David Rakoff There are many things in this world that are an outrage, to be sure, but death at our current life expectancy doesn’t strike me as one of them. Maybe I sound like some Victorian who felt that forty years ought to be enough for any man, but one of the marks of a life well lived has to be reaching a state of finally getting it, of not needing more, and of being able to sign off with something approaching peace of mind. David Rakoff mind men years There's nothing particularly wrong with being more pessimistic than optimistic. Optimism is broad-based, non-detail-oriented thinking; pessimism is detail-oriented thinking. David Rakoff optimism optimistic thinking Arts and crafts, or getting to be in a play with people, or making a little short film, that's pure sugar, because the stakes are so low. David Rakoff short sugar play people Let's face it: professing a deep interest in movies, the absolutely dominant global art form of the last century, is at this point like professing an interest in air. Passion is nice. Erudition is admirable. But it's like that moment when good manners cross over into meaningless etiquette. David Rakoff good moment passion art I was going to say that writing is about disclosure and acting is about obfuscation, but that's such a little lie. Both of them are about obfuscation and masking oneself. David Rakoff lie say acting writing I do not go outdoors... As far as I'm concerned, the whole point of living in New York City is indoors. You want greenery? Order the spinach. David Rakoff city new you want
