There's an old saying: 'No piece of writing is ever finished, it's just abandoned.' But my own rule is: No piece of work is done until you want to kill everyone involved in the publishing process, especially yourself.
Chuck PalahniukRead
My books are always about somebody who is taken from aloneness and isolation - often elevated loneliness - to community. It may be a denigrated community that is filthy and poor, but they are not alone; they are with people.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of community and connection for individuals facing loneliness, regardless of the community's conditions.
In this quote, Chuck Palahniuk highlights the transformative power of community for individuals who experience loneliness and isolation. He acknowledges that even communities that may appear flawed or impoverished provide a sense of belonging and connection, which is vital for human well-being. The transition from being alone to being part of a group signifies the intrinsic human need for companionship and support, reinforcing the idea that no matter the circumstances, human connection can alleviate the weight of solitude.
Themes
CommunityLonelinessConnectionIsolationBelonging
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of social support during difficult times.
More from Chuck Palahniuk
All quotes →Griping isn't the same as creating something. Rebelling isn't rebuilding. Ridiculing isn't replacing. We've taken the world apart but we have no idea what to do with the pieces.
Chuck PalahniukRead
If we can forgive what’s been done to us... If we can forgive what we’ve done to others... If we can leave all of our stories behind. Our being villains or victims. Only then can we maybe rescue the world.
Chuck PalahniukRead
We're all trapped. It's always 1734. All of us, we're stuck in the same time capsule, the same as those television shows where the same people are marooned on the same desert island for thirty seasons and never age or escape. They just wear more makeup. In a creepy way, those shows are maybe too authentic.
Chuck PalahniukRead
One thing I really envy about my friends who have kids is that as their children develop, they're able to revisit their own developmental stages and recognise themselves and undo a lot of things they decided.
Chuck PalahniukRead
If you knew that your life was merely a phase or short, short segment of your entire existence, how would you live? Knowing nothing 'real' was at risk, what would you do? You'd live a gigantic, bold, fun, dazzling life. You know you would. That's what the ghosts want us to do - all the exciting things they no longer can.
Chuck PalahniukRead
Similar quotes
Any racial reconciliation we've had in this country has come not out of confrontation but out of a spirit of reconciliation. If we continue to practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we'll eventually end up with a land of people who are blind and toothless.
Andrew YoungRead
Men and boys, we show our manhood through the way we treat our women. Our wives, our sisters, our mothers.
Desmond TutuRead
Ever since I could form coherent thoughts, I knew I was a girl trapped inside a boy's body. There was never any confusion in my mind. The confusing part was why no one else could see what was wrong.
Jazz JenningsRead
Twenty-five, 30 years ago, the barometer of human rights in the United States were black people. That is no longer true. The barometer for judging the character of people in regard to human rights is now those who consider themselves gay, homosexual, lesbian.
Bayard RustinRead
To a shameful extent, the charm of marriage boils down to how unpleasant it is to be alone.
Alain De BottonRead
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes. You say sorry just for show. You live like that, you live with ghosts.
Taylor SwiftRead