Stephen Chbosky: What's your favorite book? "The last one I read.

She wasn't bitter. She was sad, though. But it was a hopeful kind of sad. The kind of sad that just takes time.

Stephen Chbosky

i-hate-you hopeful sad

So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

Stephen Chbosky

hard-times inspiring trying

There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.

Stephen Chbosky

bad-day happiness laughing

He's a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.

Stephen Chbosky

perks-of-a-wallflower introvert quiet

I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.

Stephen Chbosky

growing-up kissing kids

I just want you to know that you’re very special… and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.

Stephen Chbosky

cheer-up inspiration special

Even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.

Stephen Chbosky

perks-of-a-wallflower where-we-come life

I'm going to be who I really am. I'm going to figure out what this is.

Stephen Chbosky

watson figures

I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate.

Stephen Chbosky

people ideas thinking

Sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.

Stephen Chbosky

use sometimes people

It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.

Stephen Chbosky

perks-of-a-wallflower ignorance sometimes

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.

Stephen Chbosky

sleep years thinking

Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.

Stephen Chbosky

perks different way

Music is a vital part of my life, and it has been since I was a kid. It helped me find my identity as a person, it helped me find my identity as an artist, and it helped me get in touch with emotions that I didn't know I had.

Stephen Chbosky

artist identity kids

It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph was beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took it, I would know that the only reason it's beautiful is because of Sam. I just think it's bad when a boy looks at a girl and thinks that the way he sees the girl is better then the girl actually is. And I think it's bad when the most honest way a boy can look at a girl is through a camera. It's very hard for me to see Sam feel better about herself just because a boy sees her that way.

Stephen Chbosky

feel-better girl beautiful

Most of the people I know who were raised to be accommodating or were raised to just be nice and put everybody's needs ahead of theirs, there comes a moment when the pressure builds and they can't do it anymore. They have needs and they feel neglected and they usually explode.

Stephen Chbosky

nice people needs

I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like all I can do is keep writing this gibberish to keep from breaking apart.

Stephen Chbosky

breaking-apart knows writing

Girls like guys to be a challenge. It gives them some mold to fit in how they act. Like a mom. What would a mom do if she couldn't fuss over you and make you clean your room? And what would you do without her fussing and making you do it? Everyone needs a mom. And a mom knowns this. And it gives her a sense of purpose. You get it?

Stephen Chbosky

girl mom mother

I remembered this one time that I never told anybody about. The time we were walking. Just the three of us. I was in the middle. I don't remember where we were walking to or where we were walking from. I just remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere

Stephen Chbosky

three feelings firsts

I know that I brought this all on myself. I know that I deserve this. I'd do anything not to be this way. I'd do anything to make it up to everyone. And to not have to see a psychiatrist, who explains to me about being "passive aggressive.

Stephen Chbosky

psychiatrist passive-aggressive way