You are 27 or 28 right? It is very tough to live at that age. When nothing is sure. I have sympathy with you.
Haruki MurakamiRead
I had no ambition to be a writer because the books I read were too good, my standards were too high.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the author's self-awareness about the high standards set by great literature, leading to a lack of ambition in writing.
Haruki Murakami's quote expresses a deep respect for the exceptional quality of literature he encountered as a reader. This respect created a barrier to his ambition to write, as he felt overwhelmed by the greatness of the works he admired. The quote highlights the idea that appreciating artistry can sometimes lead to self-doubt or a feeling of inadequacy, which can hinder one’s own creative pursuits.
Themes
AmbitionWritingLiteratureSelf-DoubtStandards
In practice
Example use cases
During a writers' workshop to inspire participants struggling with ambition.
More from Haruki Murakami
All quotes →They take the circuits out of people’s brains that make it possible for them to think for themselves. Their world is like the one that George Orwell depicted in his novel. I’m sure you realize that there are plenty of people who are looking for exactly that kind of brain death. It makes life a lot easier. You don’t have to think about difficult things, just shut up and do what your superiors tell you to do.
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Memories and thoughts age, just as people do. But certain thoughts can never age, and certain memories can never fade.
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I think you still love me, but we can’t escape the fact that I’m not enough for you. I knew this was going to happen. So I’m not blaming you for falling in love with another woman. I’m not angry, either. I should be, but I’m not. I just feel pain. A lot of pain. I thought I could imagine how much this would hurt, but I was wrong.
Haruki MurakamiRead
Everybody burns out in this world; amateur, pro, it doesn't matter, they all burn out, they all get hurt, the OK guys and the not-OK guys both. That's why everybody takes out a little insurance. I've got some too, here at the bottom of the heap. That way, you manage to survive if you burn out. If you're all by yourself and don't belong anywhere, you go down once, and you're out. Finished.
Haruki MurakamiRead
Life is so uncertain: you never know what could happen. One way to deal with that is to keep your pajamas washed.
Haruki MurakamiRead
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