The only thing that makes one an artist is making art. And that requires the precise opposite of hanging out; a deeply lonely and unglamorous task of tolerating oneself long enough to push something out. David Rakoff More Quotes by David Rakoff More Quotes From David Rakoff Not being funny doesn't make you a bad person. Not having a sense of humor does. David Rakoff sense-of-humor persons doe We’re creatures of contact regardless of whether/ we kiss or we wound. Still, we must come together. David Rakoff contact kissing together Being a stranger was like being dead, and brought to mind how, in a book he had read that most folks misunderstood one common state: The flip side of love is indifference, not hate. David Rakoff hate love-is book Well into adulthood, writing has never gotten easier. It still only ever begins badly, and there are no guarantees that this is not the day when the jig is finally up. David Rakoff guarantees-that easier writing Everybody's got something. In the end, what choice does one really have but to understand that truth, to really take it in, and then shop for groceries, get a haircut, do one's work; get on with the business of one's life. That's the hope, anyway. David Rakoff groceries choices doe What remains of your past if you didn't allow yourself to feel it when it happened? If you don't have your experiences in the moment, if you gloss them over with jokes or zoom past them, you end up with curiously dispassionate memories. David Rakoff zoom memories past I am no fun at all. In fact, I am anti-fun. Not as in anti-violence, but as in anti-matter. I am not so much against fun - although I suppose I kind of am - as I am the opposite of fun. I suck the fun out of a room. Or perhaps I'm just a different kind of fun; the kind that leaves on bereft of hope; the kind of fun that ends in tears. David Rakoff tears opposites fun I have managed to establish an identity that is based on my internal self, and for that I feel tremendously lucky. David Rakoff lucky identity self Is there some lesson on how to be friends? I think what it means is that central to living a life that is good is a life that's forgiving. We're creatures of contact regardless of whether we kiss or we wound. Still, we must come together. Though it may spell destruction, we still ask for more-- since it beats staying dry but so lonely on shore. So we make ourselves open while knowing full well it's essentially saying "please, come pierce my shell. David Rakoff kissing lonely mean There is nothing so cleansing or reassuring as a vicarious sadness. David Rakoff cleansing reassuring sadness People are really trying their best. Just like being happy and sad, you will find yourself on both sides of the equation many times over your lifetime, either saying or hearing the wrong thing. Let's all give each other a pass, shall we? David Rakoff forgiveness giving people Youth is not wasted on the young, it is perpetrated on the young. David Rakoff youth young In my brief glimpse of what is to come I realize how little I care to witness it. I have seen the future and I'm fairly relieved to say, it looks nothing like me. David Rakoff future glimpse looks There is supercomputer somewhere in the Nevada desert whose sole function is to count the number of times that I have said the following, because it is unquantifiable by human minds at this point, but this time it’s really true: I should have stayed home. David Rakoff regret home numbers Unfortunately, there's no greater rhyme or reason as to why it would be me. And since there is no answer as to why me, it's not a question I feel really entitled to ask. David Rakoff why-me would-be answers But if one's dreams having to come true was the only referendum on whether they were beautiful, or worth dreaming, well then, no one would wish for anything. And that would be so much sadder. David Rakoff wish dream beautiful Central to living a life that is good, is a life that's forgiving. David Rakoff generosity forgiving Just think, the shoes I wouldn’t be caught dead in might actually turn out to be the shoes I am caught dead in. David Rakoff shoes might thinking In the window, I fantasize... about providing grown-ups and children alike with the greatest gift of all: insight. David Rakoff insight children window 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
