With the beginning of life, comes the thirst for truth, whereas the ability to lie is gradually acquired in the process of trying to stay alive. Gao Xingjian More Quotes by Gao Xingjian More Quotes From Gao Xingjian Dreams are more real than reality itself, they're closer to the self. Gao Xingjian realselfdream Loneliness is a prerequisite for freedom. Freedom depends on the ability to reflect, and reflection can only begin when one is alone. Gao Xingjian abilitylonelinessreflection Writing eases my suffering . . . writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence. Gao Xingjian sufferingeasewriting Walk where your heart leads you, there are no restrictions and no burdens. Gao Xingjian burdenfreedomheart If you want to do anything, do it now, without compromise or concession, because you have only one life. Gao Xingjian concessionscompromisewant To subvert is not the aim of literature, its value lies in discovering and revealing what is rarely known, little known, thought to be known but in fact not very well known of the truth of the human world. It would seem that truth is the unassailable and most basic quality of literature. Gao Xingjian qualitywritinglying The human species does not necessarily move in stages from progress to progress ... history and civilization do not advance in tandem. From the stagnation of Medieval Europe to the decline and chaos in recent times on the mainland of Asia and to the catastrophes of two world wars in the twentieth century, the methods of killing people became increasingly sophisticated. Scientific and technological progress certainly does not imply that humankind as a result becomes more civilized. Gao Xingjian europewarmoving In the history of literature there are many great enduring works which were not published in the lifetimes of the authors. If the authors had not achieved self-affirmation while writing, how could they have continued to write? Gao Xingjian literatureselfwriting I don't want to be a strong hero who can save society. I just want to save myself. Gao Xingjian strongherowant It's in literature that true life can be found. It's under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth. Gao Xingjian true-lifeliteraturefiction A good work can be communicated across languages ... [provided one does not] fall into the trap of narrow-minded nationalistic or chauvinistic thinking. Gao Xingjian doefallthinking Life is probably a tangle of love and hate permanently knotted together. Gao Xingjian love-and-hatehatetogether For me, writing [was] a question of survival...I could not trust anyone, even my family. The atmosphere was so poisoned. People even in your own family could turn you in. Gao Xingjian atmospherewritingpeople Love is so holy, so confusing. It makes a man anxious, tormented. Love, how can I define it? Gao Xingjian confusinglovemen Since it was announced that I had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has condemned my works and criticized them harshly. All of my works are now banned from getting into China or being published in China. What author would want to return to a country that banned his or her books? Gao Xingjian chinesecountrybook Observing humans and observing oneself yields a clear-minded starting point for literature. Gao Xingjian yieldstartingliterature Maybe there isn't a God after all, maybe there's only a universe rotating by itself like a millstone. Gao Xingjian rotatinguniversegod Once the buttons are undone, you know how it'll all end. It's all in the game, there are no miracles. Gao Xingjian buttonsmiraclegames In my view the time for rousing revolutionary literature has passed, because the revolution has already revolutionised itself to death and has left behind only bitterness and a sort of weariness, listlessness and even nausea. Gao Xingjian nausealiteratureviews I believe in science but I also believe in fate. Gao Xingjian i-believefatebelieve
