If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the tendency to dwell on negative experiences while overlooking positive ones, highlighting a distorted perception of success and failure.
Lillian Hellman's quote captures the struggle many face when it comes to self-perception in relation to success and failure. It suggests that one's nature might lead them to focus on the negative aspects of their life, blocking out joyous experiences, thus creating a mindset where failures dominate their thoughts and successes feel accidental. This introspection reveals the psychological barriers that can hinder personal growth and genuine appreciation of achievements.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech on resilience, this quote could illustrate the importance of recognizing both successes and failures.
More from Lillian Hellman
All quotes βIt is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.
If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody's mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.
Nobody knows what you want except you. And nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it. Wanting some other way to live is proof enough of deserving it. Having it is hard work, but not having it is sheer hell.
Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty.
It is not good to see people who have been pretending strength all their lives lose it even for a minute.
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Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.
Don't tire yourself more than need be, even at the price of founding a culture on the fatigue of your bones.
Saying βNoβ does not always show a lack of generosity and that saying βYesβ is not always a virtue