Writing ... is practically the only activity a person can do that is not competitive. Paul Theroux More Quotes by Paul Theroux More Quotes From Paul Theroux Luxury is the enemy of observation, a costly indulgence that induces such a good feeling that you notice nothing. Luxury spoils and infantilizes you and prevents you from knowing the world. Paul Theroux luxury knowing feelings I greatly enjoyed Tom Reiss's The Orientalist, for its mingled scholarship and sleuthing, and for so elegantly solving the puzzle of one of the Twentieth Century's most mysterious writers. Paul Theroux mysterious scholarship century One of the cardinal principles of Buddhism, the principle of neglect. Paul Theroux neglect buddhism principles You must not judge people by their country. In South America, it is always wise to judge people by their altitude. Paul Theroux wise country america Tightfisted people are as mean with friendship as they are with cash--suspicious, unbelieving, and incurious. Paul Theroux cash mean people I sought trains; I found passengers. Paul Theroux passengers found train Fogeydom is the last bastion of the bore and reminiscence is its anthem. It is futile to want the old days back, but that doesn't mean one should ignore the lessons of the visitable past. Paul Theroux lessons mean past Animal lovers often tend to be misanthropes or loners, and so they transfer their affection to the creature in their control. Paul Theroux loner lovers animal Indian enterprises seemed to work so well they produced disasters; success made them burst at the seams and the disruption of unprecedented orders led to shortages and finally failure. Paul Theroux disaster made order Painters paint outdoors, or in rooms full of people; they paint their lovers, alone, naked; they paint and eat; they paint and listen to the radio. It is a soothing way of doing your job. Paul Theroux naked jobs people There's always a way if you're not in a hurry. Paul Theroux ifs way It is the simplest fact of Indian life: there are too many Indians. Paul Theroux simplest indian facts The worst thing that can happen to you in travel is having a gun pointed at you by a very young person. That's happened to me maybe four times in my life. I didn't like it. Paul Theroux four gun young I said I didn't think it would be a collectivist state so much as a wilderness in which most people lived hand to mouth, and the rich would live like princes - better than the rich had ever lived, except that their lives would constantly be in danger from the hungry predatory poor. All the technology would serve the rich, but they would need it for their own protection and to assure their continued prosperity. Paul Theroux technology hands thinking The difference between travel writing as fiction is the difference between recording what the eye sees and discovering what the imagination knows. Fiction is pure joy - how sad that I could not reinvent the trip as fiction. Paul Theroux differences eye writing It might be said that a great unstated reason for travel is to find places that exemplify where one has been happiest. Looking for idealised versions of home-indeed, looking for the perfect memory. Paul Theroux perfect home memories Is there any point in going across the world to eat something or buy something or watch people squatting among their ruins? Travel is a state of mind. It has nothing to do with distance or the exotic. It is almost entirely an inner experience. Paul Theroux distance mind people The greatest justification for travel is not self-improvement but rather performing a vanishing act, disappearing without a trace. Paul Theroux vanishing improvement self Bogotá seemed a cruel towering place, like an eagles' nest now inhabited by vultures and their dying prey. Paul Theroux nests eagles dying In Turkey it was always 1952, in Malaysia 1937; Afghanistan was 1910 and Bolivia 1949. It is 20 years ago in the Soviet Union, 10 in Norway, five in France. It is always last year in Australia and next week in Japan. Paul Theroux japan next-week years
